Great Spotted Kiwi

About

The largest kiwi, heavily built with grey-brown plumage banded with reddish-brown. Nocturnal, highly territorial, and monogamous with long-term pair bonds. Feeds on earthworms, beetles, and berries by deep probing. Endemic to montane South Island. Unusually, both sexes share incubation duties.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Weight	2156.25 g	76.06 oz

Identification

Plumage

Grayish-brown hair-like feathers with bold white and dark brown banding, creating heavily spotted pattern on body. Largest spotted kiwi. Pale gray wash on face and throat. Sexes similar.

Habitat & Range

Subalpine shrubland, montane and alpine grassland, and beech forest at 600–1,500 m on South Island, New Zealand. Nests in burrows under tree roots or in rock piles. Tolerates cold exposed conditions.

🌲 Forest 🌾 Grassland

Geographic Range

Endemic to Okarito on New Zealand's South Island West Coast. Flightless, non-migratory; inhabits kahikatea swamp forest year-round.

Diet & Feeding

Largest kiwi; probes deep into South Island forest soils for earthworms, weta, and huhu grubs using keen olfactory sense at bill tip.

Conservation Status

Vulnerable

IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Nesting

Nest type: BU,CV.

Clutch Size

1-2

Sound

Song

Male emits a high, repeated whistle 'kee'; female gives a lower, grating 'kurr-kurr'. The Great Spotted Kiwi's calls are the most powerful of all kiwi species, carrying furthest.

Taxonomy

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Apterygiformes (Kiwis)
Family	Apterygidae (Kiwis)
Genus	Apteryx
Species	Apteryx haastii

Distribution

Great Spotted Kiwi has been recorded in 1 countries.

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Present Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇳🇴 Norway

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Great Spotted Kiwi eat?

Largest kiwi; probes deep into South Island forest soils for earthworms, weta, and huhu grubs using keen olfactory sense at bill tip.

Where does the Great Spotted Kiwi live?

Subalpine shrubland, montane and alpine grassland, and beech forest at 600–1,500 m on South Island, New Zealand. Nests in burrows under tree roots or in rock piles. Tolerates cold exposed conditions.

Is the Great Spotted Kiwi endangered?

The Great Spotted Kiwi has a conservation status of Vulnerable.

How does the Great Spotted Kiwi nest?

Nest type: BU,CV.

What does the Great Spotted Kiwi sound like?

Male emits a high, repeated whistle 'kee'; female gives a lower, grating 'kurr-kurr'. The Great Spotted Kiwi's calls are the most powerful of all kiwi species, carrying furthest.

How big is the Great Spotted Kiwi?

The Great Spotted Kiwi has a weight of 2156.25 g.

What order and family does the Great Spotted Kiwi belong to?

The Great Spotted Kiwi (Apteryx haastii) belongs to the order Apterygiformes and the family Apterygidae.