| Southern brown kiwi Temporal range:Pleistocene-recent[1] | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stewart Island tokoeka | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Infraclass: | Palaeognathae |
| Order: | Apterygiformes |
| Family: | Apterygidae |
| Genus: | Apteryx |
| Species: | A. australis |
| Binomial name | |
| Apteryx australis | |
| Subspecies[4] | |
A. a. lawryiRothschild, 1893 | |
 | |
| The distribution of southern brown kiwi | |
| Synonyms | |
Apteryx lawryiRothschild, 1893[5] | |
Thesouthern brown kiwi,tokoeka, orcommon kiwi[3] (Apteryx australis) is a species ofkiwi fromSouth Island of New Zealand. Until 2000 it was consideredconspecific with theNorth Island brown kiwi, and still is by some authorities.
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 aratite, and a member of the order Apterygiformes. Like all ratites, itssternum has no keel, it is flightless, and it has a distinctivepalate.[3]
Theholotype specimen ofApteryx australis Shaw (Nat. Miscell., 24,1813, pl1057) is held in the collections ofNational Museums Liverpool atWorld Museum, with accession number NML-VZ D180. The specimen was collected by Captain Barclay at Dusky Sound, South Island, New Zealand and came to the Liverpool national collection via the13th Earl of Derby's collection which was bequeathed to the people of Liverpool.
The southern brown kiwi is divided into two subspecies, with some conservationists arguing for a third:
A specimen described asApteryx occidentalis in 1893 is often considered ajunior synonym ofApteryx owenii, but a study in 2002 indicated this may be ahybrid betweenApteryx australis andApteryx owenii.[9]
It has nopreen gland, and its feathers have no aftershafts and nobarbules. There are largevibrissae around itsgape, and it has no tail, only apygostyle. It has a length of 45 to 55 cm (18–22 in) and the female weighs 2.1 to 3.9 kg (4.6–8.6 lb) and the male weighs 1.6 to 2.8 kg (3.5–6.2 lb). Its bill is long and slender with a slight down-curve. Like other kiwis it isnocturnal. The colour of its plumage is rufous with some streaking.[3]
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]
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 forinvertebrates, includingearthworms, beetle larvae, snails, crayfish,[10] spiders, centipedes, andorthoptera, as well as eels and amphibians.[11] Itsgizzard is weak, and underutilised due to the lack of plant matter. Itscaeca are long and narrow and aid in digestion.[3]
The southern brown kiwi, like all kiwi, has two functioningovaries, however only the leftoviduct functions, allowing eggs from both ovaries to pass through. It is amonogamous species and once paired up, they will defend their territories with warning calls. The size of their territory is between 4.9 and 43 hectares (12 and 106 acres). Nests are made in burrows, or sheltered beneath thick vegetation. The female lays 1–2 eggs, typically just 1, which the male incubates for 90 days. After a few days the chick will exit the nest and feed on its own, although it may stay around parents for a year. When not incubating eggs, they roost alone in sheltered places at ground level.[3]
| Location | Population | Date | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stewart Island | 20,000 | 1996 | Stable |
| Fiordland | 7,000 | 1996 | Decreasing |
| Haast | 300[12] | 2008 | Increasing |
| Total (New Zealand) | 27,000 | 1996 | Declining |
Southern brown kiwi live in the South Island andStewart Island. On the mainland (South Island) they live inFiordland andWestland. 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]
In 2000, after being recognised byIUCN, they were placed in theVulnerable status group.[2] They have an occurrence range of 9,800 km2 (3,800 sq mi) and population of 27,000 was estimated in 1996.[8] Brush-tailed possums,Trichosurus vulpecula, and stoats,Mustela erminea, will eat the eggs, while stoats and cats will eat chicks and juveniles. Adults are also under threat as dogs,ferrets, and brush-tailed possums, attack them and the juveniles. TheStewart Island population is stable due to the lack of these predators,[2] however stoats may have colonised the island in 2000.[8]
In 2018 a drought caused a poor breeding season forHaast tokoeka and killed three chicks; six were airlifted toOrokonui Ecosanctuary near Dunedin, and then on to a "creche" onRona Island inLake Manapouri,Fiordland.[13]
