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Kiwi
Kiwi

The 'Kiwi' is a curious bird: it cannot fly, has loose, hair-like feathers, strong legs and no tail. Mostly nocturnal, they are most commonly forest dwellers, making daytime dens and nests in burrows, hollow logs or under dense vegetation. Kiwi are the only bird to have nostrils at the end of its very long bill which is used to probe in the ground, sniffing out invertebrates to eat, along with some fallen fruit. It also has one of the largest egg-to-body weight ratios of any bird - the egg averages 15 per cent of the female's body weight (compared to two per cent for the ostrich).

Adult kiwi usually mate for life, and are strongly territorial. Females are larger than males (up to 3.3 kg and 45 cm). Depending on the species, the male kiwi does most of the egg incubation, which is usually one clutch of one egg per year from June to December. Chicks hatch fully feathered after a long incubation of 70-85 days, emerge from the nest to feed at about five days old and are never fed by their parents. Juveniles grow slowly, taking three to five years to reach adult size.

Kiwi are long-lived, and depending on the species live for between 25 and 50 years.

Species
The kiwi is related to a group of birds called ratites. The closest relatives to kiwi today are emus and cassowaries in Australia, but also the now-extinct moa of New Zealand. There are five species of kiwi:

Brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) Rowi (Apteryx rowi) Tokoeka (Apteryx australis) Great spotted kiwi/roroa (Apteryx haastii) Little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii)

The brown kiwi and tokoeka are further divided into four geographically and genetically distinct forms: the Northland, Coromandel, western and the eastern brown kiwi; and the Haast tokoeka, the northern Fiordland tokoeka, the southern Fiordland tokoeka and the Stewart Island tokoeka. Status

All kiwi species are threatened with extinction, but to varying degrees. The rowi and the Haast tokoeka are our most threatened kiwi, due to their small population size and limited number of populations. The brown kiwi, great spotted kiwi, and the Fiordland and Stewart Island forms of tokoeka are “nationally vulnerable”, the third highest threat ranking in the New Zealand Threat Classification System; and the little spotted kiwi is classified as “at risk (recovering)”.

Rate of decline
Kiwi were once more abundant and widely distributed throughout New Zealand than they are today. The overall rate of decline for kiwi populations not part of conservation programmes is estimated to be three per cent per year for brown kiwi, and two per cent for great spotted kiwi and tokoeka. All populations of the remaining species are under management. In 2008, the number of kiwi remaining was estimated to be approximately 72,600.

Cultural importance
Kiwi are a significant national icon, equally cherished by all cultures in New Zealand.

Kiwi are a symbol for the uniqueness of New Zealand wildlife and the value of our natural heritage.

The bird itself is a taonga (treasure) to Maori, who have strong cultural, spiritual and historic associations with kiwi. Its feathers are valued in weaving kahukiwi (kiwi feather cloak) for people of high rank.

Due to the cultural significance to Maori and the traditional knowledge about the bird, tangata whenua are a key stakeholder in kiwi management. For a number of local iwi and hapu throughout New Zealand, this relationship between tangata whenua and kiwi has been formally recognised as part of their Treaty of Waitangi settlement claims, which encompass specific references to species recovery work. This includes the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998.

Community involvement
Kiwi have become flagship species for conservation and are often used as a measure for the state of our natural environment and the outcome and value of community conservation projects.

There is a considerable level of community awareness and concern about kiwi. Northland and the Coromandel are the focus for community kiwi care groups, but ‘the bug’ is steadily spreading south. Today, more than 80 community groups actively protect kiwi over a combined area estimated to be similar to - or potentially greater than - the 70 000 ha protected by DOC on public conservation land. Land is managed for wild populations, as well as at fenced predator-proof sites and on predator-free islands.

Kiwi work is now carried out by a variety of organisations, agencies, groups and individuals outside of the DOC. Key players include tangata whenua, community groups, landowners and landcare trusts, Royal Forest & Bird Society, and captive practitioners and institutions.