Great spotted kiwi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Great spotted kiwi |
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| Illustration of a female | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Apteryx
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| Species: |
haastii
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| Range of the great spotted kiwi | |
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The great spotted kiwi, great grey kiwi or roroa (Apteryx haastii) is a flightless bird native to the South Island of New Zealand. It is the largest species of kiwi. This bird thrives in high-altitude, rugged environments, which help protect it from several introduced predators, such as dogs, ferrets, cats, and stoats. The population of the species has declined by 43% over the past 45 years due to predation and habitat destruction, and is now classified as vulnerable.
Great spotted kiwis are known for their aggressive behavior and will defend their territories from other kiwis. They are nocturnal and spend their days sleeping in burrows. At night, they forage for food, which includes invertebrates and plants. Their breeding season occurs between June and March, and they lay one of the largest eggs relative to their body size among birds. The incubation period lasts between 75 to 85 days, after which the chicks are left by their parents.
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Taxonomy and etymology
This large kiwi is one of five species of kiwis residing in New Zealand. The other four are the tokoeka (Apteryx australis), Okarito brown kiwi (Apteryx rowi), little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii), and North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli). Great spotted kiwis are most closely related to the little spotted kiwi. The kiwi genus, Apteryx, is endemic to New Zealand; 44% of the bird species native to New Zealand are endemic. Kiwis are placed in the ratite family, which also includes the emu, ostrich, rhea, and cassowary, as well as the extinct moa of New Zealand and elephant birds of Madagascar. All ratites are flightless. While it was long presumed that kiwi were closely related to moa, recent DNA research identified elephant birds as kiwi's closest relatives. Additionally, kiwi are more closely related to emus and cassowaries than to moa; the latter are actually closest to the weakly flying tinamous of South America.
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Relationships in the genus Apteryx
Before the great spotted kiwi was known to science, several stories circulated about the existence of a large kiwi called the Maori roaroa. In 1871, two specimens were brought to the Canterbury Museum, where they were identified as a new species and were named after the museum's curator, Dr. Haast.
The great spotted kiwi was first described as Apteryx haastii by Thomas Potts, in 1872, based on a specimen from Westland, New Zealand. It is a monotypic species.
The genus name, Apteryx, comes from the Ancient Greek words a "without" or "no", and pteryx, "wing" and haasti is the Latin form of the last name of Sir Julius von Haast.
Description
Great spotted kiwis are the largest of the kiwis; the male is 45 cm (18 in) tall, while the female is 50 cm (20 in) tall. Bill length ranges from 9 to 12 cm (3.5–4.7 in), while weight ranges between 1.2 and 2.6 kg (2.6 and 5.7 lb) for males and 1.5 and 3.3 kg (3.3 and 7.3 lb) for females. The body is pear-shaped, while the head and neck is small with a long slender ivory bill. The eyes are small and do not see well, as it relies mostly on its sense of smell. The legs are short, with three toes per foot. It has a plumage composed of soft, hair-like feathers, which have no aftershafts. The plumage can range from charcoal grey to light brown. They have large vibrissae around the gape, and they have no tail, only a small pygostyle. They use their powerful legs and claws for defence against predators like stoats or ferrets. Kiwis are flightless birds, and hence lack hollow bones, lack a keel to which wing muscles anchor, and have tiny wings. This species also has a low body temperature compared to other birds. Average lifespan is 30 to 40 years.
Distribution and habitat
The greater spotted kiwis used to inhabit many areas across the South Island of New Zealand, but due to predation, their population is now limited to three main locations. These birds primarily live in higher altitude regions. Current populations can be found from northwestern Nelson to the Buller River, along the northwest coast (from the Hurunui River to Arthur's Pass), and in the Paparoa Range. The population in the Southern Alps is particularly isolated.
Great spotted kiwis create complex, maze-like burrows, with one bird having up to fifty burrows in its territory. They often move between these burrows, changing locations daily. Their habitat ranges from sea level to 1,500 meters in elevation, but most are found between 700 and 1,100 meters in the subalpine zone. These kiwis inhabit various environments, including tussock grasslands, scrublands, pastures, and forests.
Behaviour
The great spotted kiwi is nocturnal in behaviour. If the kiwis live in an area lacking predators, they will come out in the day. At night, they come out to feed. Like other species of kiwi, they have a good sense of smell, which is unusual in birds. Males are fiercely territorial. At most, four to five kiwis live in a square kilometre. One pair's territory can be 25 hectares (62 acres) in size. It is not known how they defend such a large territory in proportion to their size. They will call, chase, or fight intruders out. Vocalisations of the great spotted kiwi include growls, hisses, and bill snapping. Great spotted kiwi males have a call that resembles a warbling whistle, while the female call is harsh raspy, and also warbling.
Breeding and nesting
| Location | Population | Date | Trend |
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| Buller River to Nelson | Unknown | Declining | |
| Paparoa Range | Unknown | Declining | |
| Arthur's Pass National Park | Unknown | Declining | |
| Nelson Lakes National Park | Unknown | 2007 | Introduced |
| Total (South Island, New Zealand) | 16,000 | 2008 | Declining -2% yr |
Great spotted kiwis are monogamous, with pairings sometimes lasting twenty years. Nests are made in burrows. The breeding season begins in June and ends in March, as this is when food is plentiful. Males reach sexual maturity at 18 months in captivity, while females are able to lay eggs after three years. In the wild, sexual maturity for both sexes is between ages three and five.
During gestation females do not eat and must rely on fat stored from the previous five months to survive. Because of the large size of the egg, gestation is uncomfortable for the female, and they do not move much. To relieve the pain, females soak themselves in water when they come out of the burrows by dipping their abdomens into puddles. The egg-laying season is between August and January.
After the female lays the egg, the male incubates the egg while the female guards the nest. Males only leave the nest for a few hours to hunt, and during this time, the female takes over. It takes 75 to 85 days for the egg to hatch. Kiwi chicks are superprecocial, and are abandoned by their parents after hatching. After ten days, chicks venture out of the burrow to hunt. Most chicks are killed by predators in the first six months of their life. Great spotted kiwis reach full size at year six.
Feeding
In the ground, they dig for earthworms and grubs, and they search for beetles, cicada, crickets, flies, wētā, spiders, caterpillars, slugs and snails on the ground. They will also feed on berries and seeds. To find prey, the great spotted kiwi use their scenting skills or feel vibrations caused by the movement of their prey. To do the latter, a kiwi would stick its beak into the ground, then use its beak to dig into the ground. As they are nocturnal, they do not emerge until thirty minutes after sunset to begin the hunt. Kiwis will also swallow small stones, which aid in digestion.
Predators
Adult great spotted kiwis are large and powerful. They are able to fend off most predators that attack them, such as stoats, ferrets, weasels, pigs, brush possums and cats, which are all invasive species. However, stoats, ferrets, possums, cats and dogs feed on the eggs and chicks, so most chicks die within their first five months of life.
Status
The population of the great spotted kiwi began to decline when European settlers arrived in New Zealand. Before this, there were about 12 million great spotted kiwis in the country. These birds face significant threats from invasive species like pigs, dogs, ferrets, and stoats. Although the great spotted kiwi has some advantages over other kiwi species because it lives in high-altitude areas, its overall population has decreased by 43% in the past 45 years and by 90% since 1900.
Human activities have also put this species at risk through habitat destruction caused by logging and mining. In the past, humans hunted kiwis for their feathers and meat. In 1988, the species was listed as "Least Concern," but it is now classified as "vulnerable" by the IUCN.
Interesting facts about the great spotted kiwi
- The common name of this bird comes from black spots on its feathers.
- The great spotted kiwi, along with the other kiwi species, is the only bird with nostrils at the end of its bill.
- The kiwi chick takes 2 to 3 days simply to get out of its egg.
- Great spotted kiwis can only produce one egg a year, as it takes a lot of energy to produce such a massive egg.
- The yolk takes up 65% of the great spotted kiwi's egg.
- Before invasive species such as stoats, ferrets, weasels, pigs, brush possums and cats were introduced to New Zealand, great spotted kiwi's natural predators were most likely birds of prey like the extinct Haast's eagle and Eyles' harrier<and the extant Swamp harrier.
- Currently, there are fewer than 16,000 great spotted kiwis remaining.
See also
In Spanish: Kiwi moteado mayor para niños
