Order: Apterygiformes
Family: Apterygidae
Genus & Species: Apteryx australis
Subspecies: Apteryx australis australis (Okarito Brown Kiwi)
APPEARANCE
The brown kiwi is such a strange sight that at first glance it doesn't look like
a bird! They are the size of a domestic fowl and measure 14 in. in height and
20 in. in length. They weigh about 5 pounds, although the females are 20%
heavier. They lack tail feathers and have a wingspan of 2 in. These wings are
useless, making the kiwi the smallest flightless bird. Brown kiwis are
grey-brown in colour with stubby, course feathers densely covering the
round body. There are three toes on each foot. The legs are stout and short.
The beak is long and has sensitive nostrils on its tip. Hairs around the bill
help them find food in the dark. The ears are large and the eyes are small
and acute. The male's call is thin and reedy; the female's call is hoarse. Their
call sounds like "k-wee" and is where they get their name. There are two
subspecies of the brown kiwi: the North Island brown kiwi and the Okarito
(South Island) brown kiwi.
HABITAT
Brown kiwis inhabit the kauri pine forests of South Island, Stewart Island,
and parts of North Island in New Zealand. The Okarito brown kiwi lives on
South Island. The North Island brown kiwi has three distinct populations on
Northland, King Country, Taranaki, Wanganui and Bay of Plenty, East
Coast, and Hawkes Bay, all located on North Island. Brown kiwis spend
their days in burrows or under tree roots and come out at night to feed.
FOOD
Brown kiwis feed on worms, berries, insects, leaves, reptiles, and amphibians.
They locate their food by scratching through the dead leaves with their claws
or by probing the ground with their bill.
ENEMIES
The early Maori settlers of New Zealand considered the brown kiwi a
delicacy. They were hunted for food and for their feathers, which were used
in the chieftain's cloaks. Animals such as dogs, cats, stoats, weasels, and
other animals introduced to New Zealand are their main enemies. Rats and
ferrets will eat their eggs. The destruction of forests has depleted their
homeland. The Okarito brown kiwi is endangered and the North Island
brown kiwi population has declined due to roller crushing and bush fires.
BREEDING
Brown kiwis live in pairs. They probably reach sexual maturity at 2 years of
age. The laying season is from July-February. The female lays 1-2 creamy
white eggs that weigh 1 pound and are 5 in. long. The incubation period is 80
days, the longest of any known bird. The male incubates them. If the female
is going to lay 2 eggs, she will lay them 1 month apart. The chicks are born
open-eyed and fully feathered. They stay in the nest for 6 days without being
fed and then leave the nest to hunt for themselves.
RELATIVES
The brown kiwi has two subspecies and is related to the two other species of
kiwi: the great spotted or large grey kiwi and the little spotted or little grey
kiwi.
Apteryx australis mantelli (North Island Brown Kiwi)
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