South Island Brown Kiwi Apteryx australis ssp. australis
Description
The Fiordland tokoeka or Fiordland kiwi (Apteryx australis australis) is a subspecies of southern brown kiwi. It is endemic to New Zealand. Like other ratites, it is flightless.[1]
The Fiordland tokoeka is among the largest of southern brown kiwis. It has red-brown feathers that resemble fur. Its wings are small and it has no tail. It has a long, curved bill.[1] The nostrils are at the end of the bill, not at the top near the rest of its face.
The Fiordland tokoeka lives in Fiordland and on nearby islands. Its range extends from the Milford Sound to Lake Te Anau to Preservation Inlet.[1]
The adult Fiordland tokoeka is solitary and territorial, fighting other adult kiwis over feeding grounds. It is nocturnal.[1][2][3]
There are about 15,000 Fiordland tokoeka alive. The number of Fiordland kiwis is decreasing because of habitat loss and because invasive species such as stoats, ferrets, dogs, and cats eat adults, chicks, and eggs. However, human beings have begun setting traps for stoats in parts of Fiordland, and the kiwi population has begun to recover.[1]
The kiwis make a nest in a hollow log, crack in a rock, or space dug out of the ground. The egg is large and pale green in color. Both the male and female kiwi take turns incubating the egg.[1]
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fiordland tokoeka", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.
Common Names
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apterygiformes
Family: Apterygidae
Genus: Apteryx
Species: South Island Brown Kiwi Apteryx australis ssp. australis
Conservation Status
vulnerable (VU)