The short answer is yes, the kiwi bird still exists today. Though the kiwi was once abundant in New Zealand, habitat loss, predators, and other threats have led to a dramatic decline in their populations over the last century. However, dedicated conservation efforts have helped stabilize and even increase some kiwi populations. The future survival of this unique flightless bird remains dependent on continued protection and management.
What is a kiwi bird?
The kiwi is a flightless bird native to New Zealand. About the size of a chicken, it has hair-like feathers, strong legs with claws for digging, a long narrow bill with nostrils at the tip, and almost no tail. The kiwi is the national bird and icon of New Zealand. There are five species of kiwi remaining today:
- Great spotted kiwi (Apteryx haastii)
- Little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii)
- Rowi (Apteryx rowi)
- Tokoeka (Apteryx australis)
- Brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli)
Kiwis are nocturnal, spending the days hidden in burrows and emerging at night to feed on insects, worms, fruits and other small prey. They mate for life and have long lifespans, living 30 years or more in the wild. The female lays 1-2 eggs that are incubated by the male. Kiwi chicks are precocial, able to wander and feed themselves soon after hatching, but take 2-5 years to reach full maturity.
Why is the kiwi special?
As New Zealand’s national symbol, the kiwi holds a special place in the culture and identity of the country. There are several reasons why this unique bird has become an icon:
- Endemic – Kiwis are found nowhere else in the world but New Zealand. Other unique endemic species went extinct after humans arrived, making remaining endemics like the kiwi even more precious.
- Ancient lineage – Kiwis belong to an ancient group of ratite birds that once spanned Gondwana. Their evolutionary history stretches back over 60 million years.
- Flightless oddity – Most birds fly. But the kiwi’s adaptation to a ground-dwelling lifestyle makes it an oddity, as well as vulnerable to introduced predators.
- Personality – Kiwis are described as inquisitive, stubborn and even comical. Their boldness and curiosity endear them to those who observe them.
- Conservation emblem – With wild kiwi populations under threat, they represent the wider conservation struggles facing New Zealand’s endemic fauna.
For all these reasons, the kiwi holds a special place in New Zealand’s natural heritage and has become woven into the nation’s cultural identity over time.
How many kiwi birds are left in New Zealand?
It is estimated that there are around 68,000 kiwi left in New Zealand as of 2022. This includes all five species across their remaining fragmented distributions:
| Species | Population |
|---|---|
| Rowi | 500 |
| Little spotted kiwi | 1,200 |
| Great spotted kiwi | 17,000 |
| Tokoeka | 14,000 |
| Brown kiwi | 35,000 |
This represents a small fraction of the millions of kiwi that existed before humans arrived in New Zealand about 700 years ago. But while their populations continue to be under threat, intensive management programs have helped stabilize numbers and even achieve increases for some species like the rowi and little spotted kiwi in recent decades.
Why is the kiwi endangered?
There are several reasons why kiwi populations have dwindled from the millions that once inhabited mainland New Zealand:
- Habitat loss – Forest clearance and land development by humans have destroyed and fragmented kiwi habitat.
- Predation – The kiwi’s naivete to threats made it highly vulnerable to introduced mammals like stoats, ferrets, dogs, cats, rats, and possums that prey on adult kiwi, chicks and eggs.
- Climate change – Droughts, storms and other climate impacts degrade habitats and may threaten future kiwi survival.
- Genetic bottlenecks – Small isolated populations lose genetic diversity over time, increasing vulnerability to disease.
- Road deaths – Kiwi have little road sense and are prone to being hit by vehicles.
New Zealand’s large scale landscape changes, rapid introduction of multiple predator species, roads that crisscross habitats, and other pressures have created a perfect storm of threats that have decimated kiwi numbers since the arrival of humans.
What conservation efforts are being made?
A variety of conservation initiatives and projects focused on kiwi recovery include:
- Predator control – Trapping, poisoning and exclusion fencing of predators in key kiwi habitats.
- Captive breeding – Special breeding programs with a goal of reintroducing kiwi to areas they are locally extinct.
- Community engagement – Educating the public and getting communities involved in kiwi recovery efforts.
- Habitat restoration – Replanting native vegetation and improving habitats for kiwi in predator-controlled areas.
- Research – Gathering information on kiwi populations, threats, genetics and how to better aid their recovery.
The Department of Conservation oversees national kiwi recovery efforts, while community groups, conservation trusts, Maori tribes, zoos, researchers and volunteers also actively contribute to saving kiwi. These collaborative efforts have helped stabilize declining trends for some kiwi species.
Kiwi recovery milestones
Some notable successes from kiwi conservation work include:
- Little spotted kiwi was brought back from the brink in the 1990s, with populations boosted from under 200 to over 1,100 birds today.
- Rowi kiwi were saved from extinction through an intensive captive breeding and predator control program, with numbers rising from 160 in 1995 to over 500 birds today.
- An area in Zealandia wildlife sanctuary near Wellington was declared kiwi predator free in 2006, with kiwi successfully reintroduced.
- Haast tokoeka kiwi in south Westland increased from 150 to 400 birds following 20 years of predator control efforts.
While ongoing work is still needed, these examples demonstrate that intensive management can pay off and offer hope for the continued recovery of kiwi populations.
What does the future hold for the kiwi?
The outlook for New Zealand’s national bird remains uncertain. With continued management and protection, some kiwi populations can be maintained, and may even continue to recover from depleted numbers. However, trends for some species remain negative, and long-term survival is not guaranteed. Several factors will be key in determining the fate of the kiwi:
- Predator control – Sustaining funding and community commitment to predator control will be critical to protect vulnerable kiwi.
- Habitat protection – Halting the loss and degradation of remaining kiwi habitat and restoring damaged areas.
- Climate impacts – Severe weather, drought and climate change effects may overwhelm fragile kiwi populations.
- Genetic diversity – Managing tiny isolated populations to retain genetic health and long term viability.
- Community engagement – Ongoing public participation and cultural commitments to care for this treasured endemic bird.
The wild kiwi’s behavioral traits like nesting on the ground, slow reproduction and naivete towards threats have made its survival challenging in modern New Zealand. While the odds are stacked against it, the kiwi has defied expectations so far thanks to intensive life support from conservation efforts. Its future now depends on New Zealanders’ continued willingness to provide that support. With adequate funding, habitat protection, and community devotion, cautious optimism remains for the national bird’s future.
Conclusion
The kiwi is a national treasure for New Zealand and a bird that has captured the hearts and imaginations of people worldwide. Intensive conservation support has pulled some kiwi species back from the brink after precipitous declines. Successes demonstrate that the odds, while slim, can be overcome with commitment and care. Continued protection of habitat, control of predators, and community dedication will be key to determining whether the kiwi has a long-term future in the wild. While pressures and threats remain, the kiwi survives today as a symbol of what can be achieved when a nation rallies around preserving its natural heritage.
