5. Kiwis

Total Number of Species in Family: 5

Common Name                           Scientific Name
Southern Brown Kiwi                 Apteryx australis
Okarito Brown Kiwi                    Apteryx rowi
North Island Brown Kiwi           Apteryx mantelli
Little Spotted Kiwi                     Apteryx owenii
Great Spotted Kiwi                    Apteryx haastii

a.Southern Brown Kiwi Apteryx australis:

Described by: Shaw (1813)
Alternate common name(s): Brown Kiwi, Common Kiwi, Stewart Island Brown Kiwi, Tokoeka

Range
S. New Zealand;
Three populations;
(1) Sw. South Island in Southland and in Fiordland from Milford Sound s. to s. of Preservation Inlet, coastal islands (Resolution Is., Cooper Is., Long Is., Parrot Is., and Secretary Is.), and inland as far as Lake Te Anau. An isolated population apparently exists further n. between Haast and Arawata River.
(2) Stewart Is. s. of Paterson Inlet.


B. Okarito Brown Kiwi Apteryx rowi:
Described by: Worthy; Gill (2003)

Range
New Zealand;
W. South Island in coastal c. Westland near Okarito.

C. North Island Brown Kiwi Apteryx mantelli:
Described by: Barlett, A. D. (1852)

Range
New Zealand;
Fragmented distribution;
N. of about latitude 40°S on North Island in Northland s. of Tauroa Point and Doubtless Bay to Ruawai and Bream Bay (Waitangi State Forest and Waipoua State Forest), and South Auckland (Tangiteroria Kiwi Reserve). Occurs with lower density in other parts of North Island: Central and South Auckland (s. of Papakura, n. of the Coromandel Peninsula, e. of Thames), South Auckland and n. Taranaki (Kawhia Harbor to Lake Taupo), Taranaki and n. Wellington (North Taranaki Bight s. to Petea and e. to Tongariro National Park), Bay of Plenty to East Coast (between Putaruru and Tauranga and between Whakatane n. of Moutohora through Urewera National Park to s. Lake Waikamoana) and ex. nw. Hawkes Bay (s. and w. of Tarawera).
Introduced successfully to Little Barrier, Kawau, Pounui and Kapiti Is.

D. Little Spotted Kiwi Apteryx owenii:
Described by: Gould (1847)
Alternate common name(s): North Island Little Spotted Kiwi, Little Gray Kiwi, Little Grey Kiwi

Range
New Zealand;
Restricted range;
Two populations;
The main remaining population has been introduced and is well established on Kapiti Island. Other smaller populations have been introduced on Hen Is. and Red Mercury Is. off n. North Island, and Long Is. off sw. South Island (Fiordland). A few birds may remain along the w. coast of South Island on D'Urville Is.
(1) Formerly occurred in se. North Island on Mt. Hector (900m) at the source of the Hutt River in the Tararua Range where a single specimen was collected in 1875.
(2) Main population formerly occurred on the D'Urville Is.; Scattered, but unconfirmed recent reports from the D'Urville Is. and n. South Island (one apparently confirmed in 1992). Also formerly occurred along the w. slopes of the Southern Alps on South Island from ne. Marlborough s. to s. Fiordland including Adel Tasman National Park and Fiordland near Chalky Inlet, Shark Cove, Dusky Sound and Large Burn.

E. Great Spotted Kiwi Apteryx haastii:
Described by: Potts (1872)
Alternate common name(s): Great Gray Kiwi, Great Grey Kiwi
Old scientific name(s): Apteryx haasti

Range
New Zealand;
One main population and two or three smaller isolated populations;
Nw. South Island, mainly on the w. slopes of the Southern Alps, but on both sides of the divide at Arthur's Pass and Lewis Pass. The main population is in nw. Nelson (Gouland Downs area s. to the Buller River. Two or three isolated populations: one in Paparoa Ras in the Paparoa Ranges, Westland. The second in Westland s. of Whanganui Inlet se. to sw. Takaka and s. to the Buller River, and a third between Lake Summer and the Hurunui River s. to Arthur's Pass. S. limit of its range is unknown, but possibly to Okarito, the Karangarua River and even Fiordland? Unconfirmed reports from the Matiri and Victoria Ranges. Formerly in Canterbury Plains from Tasman Bay to the Foveaux Strait.
Introduced on Little Barrier Island off North Island in 1915, but probably no longer extant.