Facts about kiwi

Did you know that kiwi live in pairs and mate for life? Learn lots of kiwi facts in this
section.

Stewart Island tokoeka
Characteristics
The kiwi is a curious bird: it cannot fly, has loose, hair-like feathers, strong legs and no
tail. Mostly nocturnal, they are most commonly forest dwellers, making daytime dens
and nests in burrows, hollow logs or under dense vegetation. Kiwi are the only bird to
have nostrils at the end of its very long bill which is used to probe in the ground, sniffing
out invertebrates to eat, along with some fallen fruit. It also has one of the largest egg-
to-body weight ratios of any bird - the egg averages 15 per cent of the female's body
weight (compared to two per cent for the ostrich).
Adult kiwi usually mate for life, and are strongly territorial. Females are larger than
males (up to 3.3 kg and 45 cm). Depending on the species, the male kiwi does most of
the egg incubation, which is usually one clutch of one egg per year from June to
December. Chicks hatch fully feathered after a long incubation of 70-85 days, emerge
from the nest to feed at about five days old and are never fed by their parents. Juveniles
grow slowly, taking three to five years to reach adult size.
Kiwi are long-lived, and depending on the species live for between 25 and 50 years.
Species
The kiwi is related to a group of birds called ratites. The closest relatives to kiwi today
are emus and cassowaries in Australia, but also the now-extinct moa of New Zealand.
There are five species of kiwi:
Brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli)
Rowi (Apteryx rowi)
Tokoeka (Apteryx australis)
Great spotted kiwi/roroa (Apteryx haastii)
Little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii)
The brown kiwi and tokoeka are further divided into four geographically and genetically
distinct forms: the Northland, Coromandel, western and the eastern brown kiwi; and the
Haast tokoeka, the northern Fiordland tokoeka, the southern Fiordland tokoeka and the
Stewart Island tokoeka.
Status
All kiwi species are threatened with extinction, but to varying degrees. The rowi and the
Haast tokoeka are our most threatened kiwi, due to their small population size and
limited number of populations. The brown kiwi, great spotted kiwi, and the Fiordland and
Stewart Island forms of tokoeka are nationally vulnerable, the third highest threat
ranking in the New Zealand Threat Classification System; and the little spotted kiwi is
classified as at risk (recovering).
Rate of decline
Kiwi were once more abundant and widely distributed throughout New Zealand than
they are today. The overall rate of decline for kiwi populations not part of conservation
programmes is estimated to be three per cent per year for brown kiwi, and two per cent
for great spotted kiwi and tokoeka. All populations of the remaining species are under
management. In 2008, the number of kiwi remaining was estimated to be approximately
72,600.
Distribution
View a map of the distribution of kiwi.
Kiwi and people
Cultural importance

Kiwi feathers
Kiwi are a significant national icon, equally cherished by all cultures in New Zealand.
Kiwi are a symbol for the uniqueness of New Zealand wildlife and the value of our
natural heritage.
The bird itself is a taonga (treasure) to Maori, who have strong cultural, spiritual and
historic associations with kiwi. Its feathers are valued in weaving kahukiwi (kiwi feather
cloak) for people of high rank.
Due to the cultural significance to Maori and the traditional knowledge about the bird,
tangata whenua are a key stakeholder in kiwi management. For a number of local iwi
and hapu throughout New Zealand, this relationship between tangata whenua and kiwi
has been formally recognised as part of their Treaty of Waitangi settlement claims,
which encompass specific references to species recovery work. This includes the Ngai
Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998.
Community involvement
Kiwi have become flagship species for conservation and are often used as a measure
for the state of our natural environment and the outcome and value of community
conservation projects.
There is a considerable level of community awareness and concern about kiwi.
Northland and the Coromandel are the focus for community kiwi care groups, but the
bug is steadily spreading south. Today, more than 80 community groups actively
protect kiwi over a combined area estimated to be similar to - or potentially greater than
- the 70 000 ha protected by DOC on public conservation land. Land is managed for
wild populations, as well as at fenced predator-proof sites and on predator-free islands.
Kiwi work is now carried out by a variety of organisations, agencies, groups and
individuals outside of the DOC. Key players include tangata whenua, community
groups, landowners and landcare trusts, Royal Forest & Bird Society, and captive
practitioners and institutions.