KiwiNewZ

Little Spotted Kiwi

This species is the smallest, most endangered and shyest kiwi. About 40cm tall, its mottled feathers are brownish-black on a pale grey background and are irregularly banded. Its egg is the largest, in relation to its body size, in the world. The little spotted kiwi population has been badly affected by possums, stoats, cats and larger predators.

Once widespread in the South Island, it is now extinct on the mainland and found only on Kapiti Island, near Wellington, where 1000 birds live in a 1900ha area of mixed forest, scrub and grassland. It is assumed kiwi were transferred to Kapiti Island at some stage. The population is self-sustaining and some birds have been transferred to other islands (including Tiritiri Matangi, Hen Island, Red Mercury and Long Island) to create more space on Kapiti and hopefully establish new populations in other locations.