A global conservation group’s Red List of Endangered Species is out. The list tracks plants and animals at risk of extinction. The outlook appears bleak for some on the list, including pangolins, porpoises, goatgrass, and wild rice. But the future seems bright for at least two types of New Zealand kiwi birds. Their numbers are on the increase—thanks to efforts by conservationists.
New Zealand is home to a number of flightless and ground-nesting birds—including emus, ostriches, and rheas. One of the best known of these is the kiwi, a squatty-bodied, chicken-sized bird. The kiwi so much a part of New Zealand’s national identity that citizens of the island nation often refer to themselves “Kiwis.”
When God created kiwis, He showed a sense of humor. Kiwis cannot fly, but they do have wings. Their wings are small—nearly undetectable under bristly, hair-like feathers. Most adult birds of other species have hollow bones. The hollow bones make them lighter weight for flying. But kiwi bones contain marrow: They don’t need to fly.
Kiwis lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any bird species. Brown kiwi females carry and lay a single egg that may weigh up to 16 ounces—as much as a soda can.
Shy, nocturnal birds, kiwis have poor eyesight. They must use their other senses to survive. Kiwis have long, pliable bills that are sensitive to touch. The bill also features a set of nostrils at its tip. With it, the kiwi forages for food and feels vibrations.
Island life isn’t easy for the small-eyed, long-billed, ground-bound kiwi. In New Zealand, cats and stoats (a member of the weasel family) hunt the nearly defenseless birds. Other predators include rats and possums.
Predators have killed off more than 40 New Zealand bird species. So when the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) upgraded the Okarito kiwi and the Northern Brown kiwi from “endangered” to “vulnerable,” it was good news. Okarito kiwi numbers have risen from 160 in 1995 to 400-450 today. Northern Brown kiwi numbers are also climbing, according to IUCN surveys.
Jane Smart is global director of IUCN’s biodiversity conservation program. She says birds in New Zealand have gained ground thanks to campaigns to rid the country of bird predators—especially animals that prey on the defenseless kiwi.
