Little Spotted Kiwi
Encyclopedia
The Little Spotted Kiwi or Little Gray Kiwi, Apteryx owenii, is a small species of kiwi
originally from New Zealand
's South Island
(what is known is they used to live near Marlborough and where Tokoeka
currently live) that, around 1890 and 1910 was captured (for conservation purposes) and later released on Kapiti Island
. Little Spotted Kiwis are the smallest species of kiwi, at about 0.9 to 1.9 kg (2 to 4.2 lb), about the size of a bantam
.
and belongs to the Apterygiormes Order, and the Apterygidae Family. Their binomial name Apteryx owenii breaks down to without wings and owenii which is named after Sir Richard Owen. Today, only the nominate subspecies A. o. owenii exists. The little-known and somewhat mysterious North Island Little Spotted Kiwi A. o. iredalei from the North Island went extinct in the late 19th century.
The Little Spotted Kiwi was first described as Apteryx owenii by John Gould
, in 1847, based on a specimen from New Zealand
.
feathers around the gape
. They lack a tail, but have a small pygostyle
. Their bill is ivory and long and their legs are pale.
, they were also moved to Red Mercury Island, Hen Island
, Tiritiri Matangi Island
, and Long Island in the Queen Charlotte Sound
. In 2000, about 20 Little Spotted Kiwis were released in to Karori Wildlife Sanctuary
. This was the first time since about 1900 that Little Spotted Kiwis could be found on the North or South Islands. Studies on Kapiti Island show that they prefer flax, seral
, and older forest. Lower numbers in rough grassland and scrub show that they aren't as fond or need more space in these areas.
s that like to burrow far into the ground, and also will eat certain types of fruit. Hence the sharp talons and long beak
, it digs into the ground with its talons then shoves its long beak down the soft ground. Since they can't 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.
They nest in an excavated burrow, dug by both birds and sometimes line the nest with plant material. The clutch size is one to two eggs (15% have 2), and are incubated by the male for a period of 63–76 days. After hatching they stay in the nest for 2–3 weeks and require feeding for 4 weeks. The largest egg in comparison with the size of the bird is laid by the Little Spotted Kiwi. Its egg accounts for 26 percent of its own weight—the equivalent of a human woman giving birth to a six year old child.
from a specimen obtained by F. Strang. The locality is not recorded but probably it came from Nelson or Marlborough. In 1873, Henry Potts published an account of its habits and about this time specimens were collected in South Westland and sent to England. At that time 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 on this, the smallest of the kiwi.
). The Little Spotted Kiwi's conservation status is listed as 'Range Restricted' (by 'Save The Kiwi'), with a growing population. Formerly classified as Vulnerable
by the IUCN, it was suspected to be more numerous than generally assumed. Following the evaluation of its population size, this was found to be correct, and it is consequently downlisted to Near Threatened
status in 2008 as it is not a particularly rare bird but its small range puts it at risk. The lack of predators on its islands is important to its increasing numbers, although Weka, Gallirallus australis, seems to be on Kapiti Island
. It has an occurrence range of 31 km² (12 sq mi), with a population of 1150, which was estimated in 2000.
Kiwi
Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...
originally from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
(what is known is they used to live near Marlborough and where Tokoeka
Tokoeka
The Southern Brown Kiwi, Tokoeka, or Common kiwi, Apteryx australis, is a species of kiwi from New Zealand's South Island. Until 2000 it was considered conspecific with the North Island Brown Kiwi, and still is by some authorities.-Taxonomy:...
currently live) that, around 1890 and 1910 was captured (for conservation purposes) and later released on Kapiti Island
Kapiti Island
-External links:* , Department of Conservation* * , Nature Coast Enterprise *...
. Little Spotted Kiwis are the smallest species of kiwi, at about 0.9 to 1.9 kg (2 to 4.2 lb), about the size of a bantam
Bantam (chicken)
A bantam is a small variety of poultry, especially chickens. Etymologically, the name bantam is derived from the city of Bantam - currently known as "Banten Province" or previously "Banten Residency" - once a major seaport, in Indonesia...
.
Taxonomy
The Little spotted kiwi is a ratiteRatite
A ratite is any of a diverse group of large, flightless birds of Gondwanan origin, most of them now extinct. Unlike other flightless birds, the ratites have no keel on their sternum—hence the name from the Latin ratis...
and belongs to the Apterygiormes Order, and the Apterygidae Family. Their binomial name Apteryx owenii breaks down to without wings and owenii which is named after Sir Richard Owen. Today, only the nominate subspecies A. o. owenii exists. The little-known and somewhat mysterious North Island Little Spotted Kiwi A. o. iredalei from the North Island went extinct in the late 19th century.
The Little Spotted Kiwi was first described as Apteryx owenii by John Gould
John Gould
John Gould was an English ornithologist and bird artist. The Gould League in Australia was named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
, in 1847, based on a specimen from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Description
The Little Spotted Kiwi has a length of 35 to 45 cm (13.8 to 17.7 in) and the weight of the male is 0.9 to 1.3 kg (2 to 2.9 lb) and the female weighs 1 to 1.9 kg (2.2 to 4.2 lb). Their feathers are pale-mottled gray, with fine white mottling, and are shaggy looking. They lack aftershafts and barbules. They have large vibrissaeVibrissae
Vibrissae , or whiskers, are specialized hairs usually employed for tactile sensation. The term may also refer to the thick hairs found inside human nostrils, but these have no sensorial function and only operate as an airborne particulate barrier...
feathers around the gape
Gape
In bird anatomy, the gape is the interior of the open mouth of a bird and the gape flange is the region where the two mandibles join together, at the base of the beak...
. They lack a tail, but have a small pygostyle
Pygostyle
Pygostyle refers to a number of the final few caudal vertebrae fused into a single ossification, supporting the tail feathers and musculature. In modern birds, the rectrices attach to these....
. Their bill is ivory and long and their legs are pale.
Range and habitat
After they were released on Kapiti IslandKapiti Island
-External links:* , Department of Conservation* * , Nature Coast Enterprise *...
, they were also moved to Red Mercury Island, Hen Island
Hen and Chicken Islands
The Hen and Chickens Islands lie to the east of the North Auckland Peninsula off the coast of northern New Zealand. They are located to the east of Bream Head and southeast of Whangarei....
, Tiritiri Matangi Island
Tiritiri Matangi Island
Tiritiri Matangi Island lies in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, east of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula in the North Island and north east of Auckland. The island is an open nature reserve managed under the supervision of the Department of Conservation and is noted for its bird life, including kiwi...
, and Long Island in the Queen Charlotte Sound
Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand
Queen Charlotte Sound is the easternmost of the main sounds of the Marlborough Sounds, in New Zealand's South Island. It is, like the other sounds, a drowned river valley , and like the majority of its neighbours it runs southwest to northeast before joining Cook Strait.The town of Picton, the...
. In 2000, about 20 Little Spotted Kiwis were released in to Karori Wildlife Sanctuary
Karori Wildlife Sanctuary
Zealandia, formerly known as the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, is a protected natural area in Wellington, New Zealand, where the biodiversity of 225 ha of forest is being restored...
. This was the first time since about 1900 that Little Spotted Kiwis could be found on the North or South Islands. Studies on Kapiti Island show that they prefer flax, seral
Seral community
A seral community is an intermediate stage found in ecological succession in an ecosystem advancing towards its climax community. In many cases more than one seral stage evolves until climax conditions are attained...
, and older forest. Lower numbers in rough grassland and scrub show that they aren't as fond or need more space in these areas.
Behavior
The little spotted kiwi tends to eat grubs and other small insectInsect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s that like to burrow far into the ground, and also will eat certain types of fruit. Hence the sharp talons and long beak
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
, it digs into the ground with its talons then shoves its long beak down the soft ground. Since they can't 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.
Reproduction
| Location | Population | Date | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hen Island Hen and Chicken Islands The Hen and Chickens Islands lie to the east of the North Auckland Peninsula off the coast of northern New Zealand. They are located to the east of Bream Head and southeast of Whangarei.... |
50 | 2000 | Increasing |
| Kapiti Island Kapiti Island -External links:* , Department of Conservation* * , Nature Coast Enterprise *... |
1,000 | 2000 | Stable |
| Red Mercury Island | 30 | 2000 | Increasing |
| Long Island | 10 | 2000 | Increasing |
| Tiritiri Matangi | 15 | 2000 | Increasing |
| Karori Wildlife Sanctuary Karori Wildlife Sanctuary Zealandia, formerly known as the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, is a protected natural area in Wellington, New Zealand, where the biodiversity of 225 ha of forest is being restored... |
70 | 2008 | Increasing |
| Motuihe Island Motuihe Island Motuihe Island lies between Motutapu and Waiheke islands in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, near Auckland. The island measures about , of which around are remnants of coastal forest. The island is a recreation reserve controlled by the Department of Conservation and administered by the Motuihe... |
9 | ||
| Total (New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... ) |
1,200 | 2000 | Stable |
They nest in an excavated burrow, dug by both birds and sometimes line the nest with plant material. The clutch size is one to two eggs (15% have 2), and are incubated by the male for a period of 63–76 days. After hatching they stay in the nest for 2–3 weeks and require feeding for 4 weeks. The largest egg in comparison with the size of the bird is laid by the Little Spotted Kiwi. Its egg accounts for 26 percent of its own weight—the equivalent of a human woman giving birth to a six year old child.
Human interaction
The little spotted kiwi was first described in 1847 by John GouldJohn Gould
John Gould was an English ornithologist and bird artist. The Gould League in Australia was named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
from a specimen obtained by F. Strang. The locality is not recorded but probably it came from Nelson or Marlborough. In 1873, Henry Potts published an account of its habits and about this time specimens were collected in South Westland and sent to England. At that time 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 on this, the smallest of the kiwi.
Conservation
As the smallest species of kiwi, the Little Spotted Kiwi would be an ideal meal for main kiwi predators like cats, dogs, and stoats, however the Little Spotted Kiwi lives on several off-shore islands (mainly Kapiti IslandKapiti Island
-External links:* , Department of Conservation* * , Nature Coast Enterprise *...
). The Little Spotted Kiwi's conservation status is listed as 'Range Restricted' (by 'Save The Kiwi'), with a growing population. Formerly classified as Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
by the IUCN, it was suspected to be more numerous than generally assumed. Following the evaluation of its population size, this was found to be correct, and it is consequently downlisted to Near Threatened
Near Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
status in 2008 as it is not a particularly rare bird but its small range puts it at risk. The lack of predators on its islands is important to its increasing numbers, although Weka, Gallirallus australis, seems to be on Kapiti Island
Kapiti Island
-External links:* , Department of Conservation* * , Nature Coast Enterprise *...
. It has an occurrence range of 31 km² (12 sq mi), with a population of 1150, which was estimated in 2000.
External links
- BirdLife Species Factsheet.
- Save The Kiwi (formerly Kiwi Recovery)