Southern Brown Kiwi

À propos

A robust flightless kiwi with coarse grey-brown hair-like feathers and a long decurved bill. Strictly nocturnal and largely solitary, probing leaf litter for earthworms, insects, and berries. Confined to South Island and Stewart Island of New Zealand. Lays the largest egg relative to body size of any bird.

Physical Description

Measurement	Value	Imperial
Poids	2602,5 g	91.80 oz

Identification

Plumage

Dense, hair-like brown feathers streaked with rufous and dark brown give a shaggy appearance. No visible wings. Sexes similar; females notably larger. Cryptic plumage blends with forest floor.

Habitat & Range

Dense temperate rainforest, scrubland, and tussock grassland in South Island and Stewart Island, New Zealand. Nests in burrows or hollow logs. Requires thick ground cover and moist soils rich in invertebrates.

🌲 Forest 🌾 Grassland

Répartition géographique

Restricted to South Island and Stewart Island, New Zealand. Flightless and sedentary in dense native forest and scrubland year-round.

Diet & Feeding

Nocturnal probe-feeder extracting earthworms, beetle larvae, and weta from moist forest soils using olfactory detection at bill tip.

Statut de conservation

Vulnerable

IUCN Red List

Comportement et reproduction

Nidification

Nest type: BU,CV. Incubation: 75-84 days. Fledging: 5-6 days.

Taille de la couvée

1-3

Son

Chant

A loud, repeated 'kee-wee' shriek — the female's call that gives kiwis their name. Males give a higher-pitched, softer 'ki-wi'. Calls carry far through native forest at night.

Taxonomie

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Ordre	Apterygiformes (Kiwis)
Famille	Apterygidae (Kiwis)
Genus	Apteryx
Espèces	Apteryx australis

Distribution

Southern Brown Kiwi has been recorded in 1 countries.

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Présent Not recorded

countries highlighted

🇳🇴 Norway

External Databases

Foire aux questions

What does the Southern Brown Kiwi eat?

Nocturnal probe-feeder extracting earthworms, beetle larvae, and weta from moist forest soils using olfactory detection at bill tip.

Where does the Southern Brown Kiwi live?

Dense temperate rainforest, scrubland, and tussock grassland in South Island and Stewart Island, New Zealand. Nests in burrows or hollow logs. Requires thick ground cover and moist soils rich in invertebrates.

Is the Southern Brown Kiwi endangered?

The Southern Brown Kiwi has a conservation status of Vulnerable.

How does the Southern Brown Kiwi nest?

Nest type: BU,CV. Incubation: 75-84 days. Fledging: 5-6 days.

What does the Southern Brown Kiwi sound like?

A loud, repeated 'kee-wee' shriek — the female's call that gives kiwis their name. Males give a higher-pitched, softer 'ki-wi'. Calls carry far through native forest at night.

How big is the Southern Brown Kiwi?

The Southern Brown Kiwi has a weight of 2602.5 g.

What order and family does the Southern Brown Kiwi belong to?

The Southern Brown Kiwi (Apteryx australis) belongs to the order Apterygiformes and the family Apterygidae.