Apteryx mantelli

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Classis: Aves
Subclassis: Carinatae
Infraclassis: Neornithes
Parvclassis: Palaeognathae
Ordo: Apterygiformes
Familia: Apterygidae
Genus: Apteryx
Species: Apteryx mantelli

Name

Apteryx mantelli A.D. Bartlett, 1852

References

* PZS["1850"] Pt18 no.218 p.275 pl.30 fig.3,4 pl.31 fig.2

Vernacular names
Dansk: Brun kiwi
English: North Island brown kiwi
Español: Kiwi marrón de la Isla del Norte
Français: Kiwi brun de l’île du nord
Italiano: Kiwi australe del North Island
Nederlands: Noordereilandkiwi
Polski: Kiwi brunatny północny
Slovenčina: kivi Mantellov
Slovenščina: Severnootoški rjavi kivi
Walon: brun kiwi d' l' Iye Nôr

The North Island Brown Kiwi, Apteryx mantelli, Apteryx australis or Apteryx bulleri[3] before 2000 (and still in some sources), is a species of kiwi that is widespread in the northern two-thirds of the North Island of New Zealand and, with about 35000 remaining[2], is the most common kiwi.

Taxonomy

Until 2000, the Brown Kiwi (then Apteryx australis) was thought to include the Rowi and the Tokoeka, in addition to the North Island Brown Kiwi. However using genetic codes from each of the above it was determined that the Tokoeka was a separate species, it took the Apteryx australis name , leaving the Brown Kiwi with its current Apteryx mantelli name. Soon after, in 1998, more genetic tests were done with the rowi and it was determined that it (the rowi) was a separate species (Apteryx Rowi). In 2004 an injured bird was found with streaked white around the head and identified by Massey University. The white feathering is likely due to a rarely seen genetic variation sometimes described as a partial albino. Few documented cases exist with only a painting of one found in Otorohanga in the 18th century and a specimen in the Canterbury Museum. The injured bird recovered and was introduced into a breeding programme.

The Brown Kiwi was first described as Apteryx australis by Abraham Dee Bartlett, in 1813, based on a specimen from Dusky Sound, South Island, New Zealand.[4]
Breeding population and trends Location Population Date Trend
North Island[5] 2500 2008 Decreasing -4% yr
Little Barrier Island[2] 2500 1996 Stable
Ponui Island[2] Stable
Kapiti Island [5] Stable
Kawau Island[2] Stable
Total (New Zealand) 5000[2] 1996 Decreasing -2% yr[5]

Range and habitat

Brown Kiwi are found throughout the North Island, occurring near Northland, Coromandel, Eastern North Island, Aroha Island, Little Barrier Island, Kawau Island, Ponui Island, and Wanganui Region. The North Island Brown has demonstrated a remarkable resilience: it has adapted to live on scrub-like farm land, pine (an introduced tree) plantations, and their native forests, but it still prefers dense, sub-tropical and temperate forest.[1]

Description

Females stand about 40 cm (16 in) high and weigh about 2.8 kg (6.2 lb) the males about 2.2 kg (4.9 lb). The plumage is streaky red-brown and spiky. The North Island Brown Kiwi is the only species of kiwi found internationally in zoos.

Behavior

These Kiwi, like all kiwi, feed on invertebrates. They have 2-3 clutches a year with 2 eggs in each clutch. Chicks are fully feathered at hatching and leave the nest and can fend for themselves within 1 week.[1]

Conservation

The North Island Brown Kiwi is endangered, per the IUCN Redlist, with the major threat coming from predators, such as dogs, cats, and stoat Mustela erminea. 94% of chicks die before breeding in areas where mammalian pest control is not carried out.[1] It has an occurrence range of 38,400 km2 (14,800 sq mi), with a population, estimated in 2000, of 35,000.[2]

Footnotes

1. ^ a b c d BirdLife International
2. ^ a b c d e f g BirdLife International (2008)(a)
3. ^ A History of the Birds of New Zealand
4. ^ Davies, S. J. J. F. (2003)
5. ^ a b c Save the Kiwi (2008)

References

* BirdLife International (2008). Apteryx mantelli. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 04 Feb 2009.
* BirdLife International (2008(a)). "Northern Brown Kiwi - BirdLife Species Factsheet". Data Zone. http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=9818&m=1. Retrieved 06 Feb 2009.
o Davies, S.J.J.F. (2003). "Kiwis". In Hutchins, Michael. Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins (2 ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 89–92. ISBN 0 7876 5784 0.
* Save the Kiwi (2008). "Population status of the North Island Brown Kiwi". Save the Kiwi. http://www.savethekiwi.org.nz/about-the-bird/brown-kiwi.html. Retrieved 09 Jul 2009. [dead link]