Southern brown kiwi
Southern brown kiwi Temporal range: Pleistocene-recent[1]
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Stewart Island tokoeka | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Infraclass: | Palaeognathae |
Order: | Apterygiformes |
Family: | Apterygidae |
Genus: | Apteryx |
Species: | A. australis
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Binomial name | |
Apteryx australis | |
Subspecies[4] | |
A. a. lawryi (Rothschild, 1893) | |
The distribution of southern brown kiwi | |
Synonyms | |
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The southern brown kiwi, tokoeka, or common kiwi
Taxonomy
Apteryx australis is based on Greek and Latin. Apteryx means "A-" without "pterux" wings, and "australis" from "auster" the south wind, and "-alis" relating to.[6] The southern brown kiwi belongs to the kiwi family and it is a ratite, and a member of the order Apterygiformes. Like all ratites, its sternum has no keel, it is flightless, and it has a distinctive palate.[3]
The
The southern brown kiwi is divided into two subspecies, with some conservationists arguing for a third:
- A. a. australis, the Fiordland tokoeka, with a population of approximately 15,000 birds is found on and near the Fiordland on the South Island of New Zealand. A disjunct population, near Haast, called the Haast tokoeka or Haast brown kiwi (not to be confused with Apteryx haastii), is rare (with only about 350 specimens left) and is characterised by its rufous plumage.[7][8]
- A. a. lawryi, is relatively common (20,000 birds) throughout its range, with about 17 birds per square kilometre. Its feathers are streaked lengthwise with reddish brown.[8]
Description
It has no
Behaviour
Vocalisation
Southern brown kiwi communicate vocally to aid in defending their territory. They will also sing duets with each other, with the male shrill "kee-wee" or "kee-kee" and the females hoarse " kurr kurr".[7] Males are more vocal and they both call in an upright position with their legs stretched out and their bill pointing up.[3]
Diet
The southern brown kiwi has a long slender bill with lateral nostrils at the tip, which helps give them their keen sense of smell. They utilise this, more than sight and sound, to forage in dirt for
Reproduction
The southern brown kiwi, like all kiwi, has two functioning
Range and habitat
Location | Population | Date | Trend |
---|---|---|---|
Stewart Island | 20,000 | 1996 | Stable |
Fiordland | 7,000 | 1996 | Decreasing |
Haast | 300[11] | 2008 | Increasing |
Total (New Zealand) | 27,000 | 1996 | Declining |
Southern brown kiwi live in the South Island and Stewart Island. On the mainland (South Island) they live in Fiordland and Westland. Their range is temperate and sub-tropical forests, grassland, and shrubland, the denser the better.[3] They are widespread throughout Stewart Island where they also live on the sand dunes.[8]
Conservation
In 2000, after being recognised by
In 2018 a drought caused a poor breeding season for Haast tokoeka and killed three chicks; six were airlifted to Orokonui Ecosanctuary near Dunedin, and then on to a "creche" on Rona Island in Lake Manapouri, Fiordland.[12]
Footnotes
- ^ "Apteryx australis (southern brown kiwi)". PBDB.
- ^ . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Davies, S. J. J. F. (2003)
- ^ Brands, S. (2008)
- ^ 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.
- ^ Gotch, A. F. (1995)
- ^ a b Robertson, H.A. (May 2014). "Southern brown kiwi". New Zealand Birds Online. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f BirdLife International (2016)
- ^ "Apteryx australis (Brown kiwi)". Animal Diversity Web.
- ^ "Apteryx australis (Brown kiwi)". Animal Diversity Web.
- ^ Save the Kiwi (2008)
- ^ Mills, Laura (27 February 2018). "Drought kills Haast kiwi chicks". Hokitika Guardian. p. 2.
References
- BirdLife International (2016). "Southern Brown Kiwi – BirdLife Species Factsheet". Data Zone. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- Brands, Sheila (14 August 2008). "Systema Naturae 2000 / Classification, Apteryx australis". Project: The Taxonomicon. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
- Davies, S.J.J.F. (2003). "Kiwis". In Hutchins, Michael (ed.). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 89–92. ISBN 0-7876-5784-0.
- Gotch, A.F. (1995) [1979]. "Kiwis". Latin Names Explained. A Guide to the Scientific Classifications of Reptiles, Birds & Mammals. London: Facts on File. p. 180. ISBN 0-8160-3377-3.
- Save the Kiwi (2008). "Population status of the Tokoeka Kiwi". Save the Kiwi. Archived from the original on 26 May 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2009.
External links
- View the aptMan1 genome assembly in the UCSC Genome Browser.