Little spotted kiwi

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Little spotted kiwi
Foraging at
Zealandia EcoSanctuary
, Wellington

Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Infraclass: Palaeognathae
Order: Apterygiformes
Family: Apterygidae
Genus: Apteryx
Species:
A. owenii
Binomial name
Apteryx owenii
Subspecies
The distribution of little spotted kiwi.

Predator-free islands:

  1. Hen Island
  2. Tiritiri Matangi
  3. Red Mercury Island
  4. Motuihe Island
  5. Kapiti Island
  6. Long Island
  7. Anchor Island
  8. Chalky Island

Mainland:

A. Shakespear Open Sanctuary
B. Cape Sanctuary
C. Zealandia
Synonyms
List
  • Apteryx mollis Potts 1873[4]
  • Apteryx fusca Rowley 1875 non Potts 1873
  • Pseudapteryx gracilis Lydekker 1891
  • Apteryx oweni occidentalis Rothschild 1893
  • Apteryx occidentalis (Rothschild 1893) Buller 1905
  • Apteryx australis occidentalis (Rothschild 1893)
  • Kiwi owenii (Gould 1847) Verheyen 1960
  • Stictapteryx owenii (Gould 1847) Iredale & Mathews 1926
  • Stictapteryx owenii owenii (Gould 1847) Iredale & Mathews 1926
  • Stictapteryx owenii iredalei Mathews 1935

The little spotted kiwi or little grey kiwi

bantam. It is endemic to New Zealand, and in pre-European times occurred in both main islands, but is now restricted to a number of small offshore islands, and mainland reserves protected by pest-exclusion fences. The little spotted kiwi was on the brink of extinction when a conservation effort took place 100 years ago. Five individuals were translocated from the South Island of New Zealand to Kapiti Island. Today, the Kapiti Island population has grown, with around 1200 birds.[5]

Taxonomy

The little spotted kiwi is a

nominate subspecies A. o. owenii survives. The subspecies A. o. iredalei from the North Island became extinct in the late 19th century;[7] its status as a subspecies is not universally accepted as valid though.[8]

The little spotted kiwi was first described in 1847 by John Gould from a specimen obtained by Frederick Strange and sent to England.[9] The locality is not recorded but it probably came from Nelson or Marlborough. In 1873, Henry Potts published an account of its habitats, and about this time specimens were collected in South Westland and sent to England.[2]

Description

The little spotted kiwi has a length of 35 to 45 cm (14–18 in) and the weight of the male is 0.88 to 1.36 kg (1 lb 15 oz – 3 lb 0 oz) and the female weighs 1 to 1.95 kg (2+1⁄4–4+1⁄4 lb), making it the smallest species of kiwi.

gape. They lack a tail, but have a small pygostyle.[2] Their bill is ivory and long and their legs are pale.[10]

The little spotted kiwi had an obligate louse that parasitized on it, Rallicola pilgrimi. In an example of conservation-induced extinction, all lice were killed while ensuring captive kiwis for survival.[11][12]

Distribution and habitat

Studies on Kapiti Island show that they prefer flax, seral, and older forest habitats. Lower numbers are found in rough grassland and scrub, indicating that either they prefer other habitats or they simply need a larger territory to support themselves in these areas.[10]

Behaviour

Little spotted kiwis eat grubs and other small insects that are found underground, and occasionally eat berries. Earthworms,

cranefly larvae, and spiders are their most common foods.[13] Fruit of the hinau tree is also commonly consumed.[13] Annelids make up the largest percentage of the bird's diet.[13] Using its sharp talons and long beak, it digs into the ground and then shoves its long beak down the softened ground. As they cannot fly to get to insects or food on trees and their eyesight is very poor, they depend on a keen sense of smell, long beak and talons.[2]
They are nocturnal. Little spotted kiwi call occasionally each night to advertise territory and to maintain contact with partners. Often pairs will duet. They are very territorial, and fight conspecifics with their sharp claws, resulting in many feathers on the ground.

Reproduction

Egg in hand

They nest in an excavated burrow, dug by both birds and sometimes lined with plant material. Eggs are laid from July to January. The clutch size is one to two eggs (15% have 2), which are incubated by the male for 63–76 days. Chicks stay in the nest for 2–3 weeks after hatching and require feeding for 4 weeks.[2] Little spotted kiwi eggs are the largest egg relative to the size of the bird. Its egg accounts for 26 percent of its own weight—the equivalent of a human giving birth to a six-year-old child.

Conservation

At the time it was described, the species was common on the western side of the South Island and in Marlborough. Then a regular trade in skins sprang up and large numbers were collected for European museums. Further, with the advance of European settlement, birds were killed by prospectors and others for food and their attendant dogs and cats took their toll. The species was extinct on the North Island by 1938 when the last four South Island birds were moved from

Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. This was the first time since the 19th century that little spotted kiwis could be found on the mainland of the North Island.[10]
In 2015, 20 kiwis were translocated from Kapiti Island to Anchor Island.

As the smallest species of kiwi, the little spotted kiwi would be very vulnerable to the main kiwi predators like cats, dogs, and

Gallirallus australis), is important to its increasing numbers. It has an occurrence range of 31 km2 (12 sq mi), and a population of 1600 was estimated in the year 2012.[1]

Breeding population and trends[10]
Location Population Date Trend
Hen Island 50 2012 Increasing
Kapiti Island c.1200 2012 Stable
Red Mercury Island
 70 2012 Increasing
Long Island
 50 2012 Increasing
Tiritiri Matangi
 80 2012 Increasing
Zealandia Wildlife Sanctuary 120 2012 Increasing
Motuihe Island 30 2012 Stable
Anchor Island 20 2015 Increasing
Chalky Island 50 2012 Stable
Total (New Zealand) 1670 2012 Increasing

Citations

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22678129A92756395.en
    . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Davies, S. J. J. F. (2003)
  3. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1847.tb00159.x
    .
  4. ^ Gill; et al. (2010). "Checklist of the birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica" (PDF) (4th ed.). Te Papa Press. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  5. PMID 23677342
    .
  6. ^ Gotch, A. F. (1995)
  7. ISBN 978-1-4081-5725-1
    .
  8. ^
    S2CID 243646391
    . Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  9. ^ Whittell, H. M. (1947). "Frederick Strange". The Australian Zoologist. 11: 96–114.
  10. ^ a b c d e BirdLife International (2008a)
  11. doi:10.1017/s0030605313000628
    .
  12. ^ "Rallicola (Aptericola) pilgrimi. NZTCS". nztcs.org.nz. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  13. ^ a b c "Apteryx owenii (Little spotted kiwi)". Animal Diversity Web.
  14. ^ BirdLife International (2008b)

General and cited references

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Apteryx owenii.
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