One of the 3 brown kiwis on WAnimals
Birds · Apterygiformes · Apterygidae
Great Spotted Kiwi
Apteryx haastii
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
The great spotted kiwi, or roroa, is the largest of the kiwis, a flightless bird endemic to New Zealand with feathers that look like hair, wings reduced to stubs and a long bill with the nostrils at the tip. It is nocturnal and tracks invertebrates on the forest floor by smell, a sense all but redundant in other birds. Introduced stoats and dogs are its main threat.
Weight
1.8 kg – 3.5 kg
Size
45 cm – 50 cm
Lifespan
40 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
In pairs
Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Estimated population
Around 16,000 individuals
Fun facts
- It is the only bird in the world with its nostrils at the tip of its bill: it sniffs the ground as it probes the leaf litter, and its olfactory bulb is enormous in proportion to its brain.
- It lays the largest egg in the world relative to body size: up to a quarter of the female's weight, the equivalent of a woman giving birth to a four-year-old child.
- It has a body temperature of around 38 degrees, lower than any other bird's and closer to a mammal's, and it also has marrow in its bones as mammals do.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Native forest, subalpine scrub and tussock grassland of the north-west of New Zealand's South Island
- Sexual maturity
- 3 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 75 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 egg
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apteryx_haastii
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Great Spotted Kiwi — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Southern Brown Kiwi
Apteryx australis
North Island Brown Kiwi
Apteryx mantelli
VulnerableSouthern Royal Albatross
Diomedea epomophora
VulnerableWeka
Gallirallus australis
Bristle-thighed Curlew
Numenius tahitiensis
EndangeredKea
Nestor notabilis
How to help
The great spotted kiwi is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 6 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about great spotted kiwi.
Comments
Share an experience, a fun fact or a tip for seeing the great spotted kiwi.
Be the first to comment.