View source for Little spotted kiwi

{{short description|Species of bird}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2024}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Little spotted kiwi
| image = 20180703 kiwi-sonya9 959 DxO.jpg
| image_caption = Foraging at [[Zealandia EcoSanctuary]], Wellington
| status = NT
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Apteryx owenii'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T22678129A92756395 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22678129A92756395.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
| genus = Apteryx
| species = owenii
| authority = [[John Gould|Gould]], 1847<ref name="Davies">Davies, S. J. J. F. (2003)</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gould|first1=John|title=On a new species of Apteryx|journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London|date=1847|volume=15|issue=1|pages=93–94|doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1847.tb00159.x|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12862877}}</ref>
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision =
* ''A. o. owenii'' <small>Gould, 1847</small> <small>South Island little spotted kiwi</small>
* †''A. o. iredalei'' <small>([[Gregory Macalister Mathews|Mathews]], 1935)</small> <small>[[North Island little spotted kiwi]]</small>
| synonyms = {{collapsible list|
| ''Kiwi owenii'' <small>(Gould, 1847)</small>
| ''Stictapteryx owenii'' <small>(Gould, 1847)</small>
| ''Stictapteryx owenii owenii'' <small>(Gould, 1847)</small>
| ''Apteryx mollis'' <small>[[Thomas Henry Potts|Potts]], 1873</small>
| ''Apteryx fusca'' <small>[[George Dawson Rowley|Rowley]], 1875</small>
| ''Pseudapteryx gracilis'' <small>[[Richard Lydekker|Lydekker]], 1891</small>
| ''Apteryx oweni occidentalis'' <small>[[Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild|Rothschild]], 1893</small>
| ''Apteryx occidentalis'' <small>Rothschild, 1893</small>
| ''Apteryx australis occidentalis'' <small>Rothschild, 1893</small>
| ''Stictapteryx owenii iredalei'' <small>[[Gregory Mathews|Mathews]], 1935</small>
}}
| range_map = Apteryx owenii - distribution map.svg
| range_map_caption = The distribution of little spotted kiwi.
'''Predator-free islands''':
# Hen Island
# Tiritiri Matangi
# Red Mercury Island
# Motuihe Island
# Kapiti Island
# Long Island
# Anchor Island
# Chalky Island
'''Mainland''':
:'''A.''' Shakespear Open Sanctuary
:'''B.''' Cape Sanctuary
:'''C.''' Zealandia
}}
The '''little spotted kiwi''' or '''little grey kiwi'''<ref name="Davies" /> ('''''Apteryx owenii''''') is a small flightless bird in the [[Kiwi (bird)|kiwi]] family, Apterygidae. It is the smallest of the five kiwi species, at about {{convert|0.9|to(-)|1.9|kg|lb|frac=4|abbr=on}}, about the size of a [[bantam (chicken)|bantam]]. It is endemic to New Zealand, and in pre-European times occurred in both main islands, but is now restricted to a number of small offshore islands, and mainland reserves protected by [[pest-exclusion fence]]s. The little spotted kiwi  was on the brink of extinction when a conservation effort took place 100 years ago. Five individuals were translocated from the South Island of New Zealand to Kapiti Island. Today, the Kapiti Island population has grown, with around 1200 birds.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ramstad |title=Genetic consequences of a century of protection: serial founder events and survival of the little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii) |journal=Proceedings. Biological Sciences |date=2013 |volume=280 |issue=1762 |publisher=PubMed Central |doi=10.1098/rspb.2013.0576 |pmid=23677342 |pmc=3673049 }}</ref>
==Taxonomy==
The little spotted kiwi is a [[ratite]] and belongs to the Apterygiformes order, and the Apterygidae family. The genus name ''Apteryx'' means 'without wings' and the species is named ''owenii'' after [[Sir Richard Owen]].<ref>Gotch, A. F. (1995)</ref> Only the [[nominate subspecies]] ''A. o. owenii'' survives. The subspecies ''[[North Island little spotted kiwi|A. o. iredalei]]'' from the [[North Island]] became extinct in the late 19th century;<ref name="Extinct Birds">{{cite book| last1 = Hume| first1 = J. P.| first2 = M.| last2 = Walters|year= 2012 |title= Extinct Birds |publisher= A & C Black |location= London|pages= 23–24 |isbn=978-1-4081-5725-1}}</ref> its status as a subspecies is not universally accepted as valid though.<ref name="hbw">{{cite journal |last1=Folch|first1=A. |last2=Jutglar|first2=F.|last3=Garcia|first3=E.F.J.|editor1-last=del Hoyo |editor1-first=Josep |editor2-last=Elliott |editor2-first=Andrew |editor3-last=Sargatal |editor3-first=Jordi |editor4-last=Christie |editor4-first=David A. |editor5-last=de Juana |editor5-first=Eduardo |year=2018 |title=Little Spotted Kiwi (''Apteryx owenii'') |journal=Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive |url=https://www.hbw.com/species/little-spotted-kiwi-apteryx-owenii |publisher=Lynx Edicions |location=Barcelona, Spain |doi=10.2173/bow.liskiw1.01 |s2cid=243646391 |access-date=18 August 2018 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
The little spotted kiwi was first described in 1847 by [[John Gould]] from a specimen obtained by [[Frederick Strange]] and sent to England.<ref name="Whittell1947">{{cite journal |last1=Whittell |first1=H. M. |title=Frederick Strange |journal=The Australian Zoologist |date=1947 |volume=11 |pages=96–114 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/39059740#page/132/mode/1up}}</ref> The locality is not recorded but it probably came from Nelson or Marlborough. In 1873, Henry Potts published an account of its habitats, and about this time specimens were collected in South Westland and sent to England.<ref name = "Davies"/>
A specimen described as ''Apteryx occidentalis'' in 1893 is often considered a [[junior synonym]] of this species, but a study in 2002 indicated this may be a [[hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] between ''[[Apteryx australis]]'' and ''Apteryx owenii''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Herbert |first1=John |last2=Daugherty |first2=Charles H. |title=Genetic variation, systematics and management of kiwi (''Apteryx'' spp.) |journal=Some early 1990s studies in kiwi |date=2002 |url=https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=8749d134b92b7063791b57637ef54203456cdfce |access-date=2 December 2024}}</ref>
==Description==
The little spotted kiwi has a length of {{convert|35|to(-)|45|cm|in|abbr=on}} and the weight of the male is {{convert|0.88|to(-)|1.36|kg|lboz|abbr=on}} and the female weighs {{convert|1|to(-)|1.95|kg|lb|frac=4|abbr=on}}, making it the smallest species of kiwi.<ref name=hbw/> Their feathers are pale-mottled grey, with fine white mottling, and are shaggy looking.<ref name="BLI2">BirdLife International (2008a)</ref>{{full citation needed|date=August 2019}} They lack [[aftershaft]]s and [[barbule]]s. They have large [[vibrissae]] feathers around the [[gape]]. They lack a tail, but have a small [[pygostyle]].<ref name="Davies" /> Their bill is ivory and long and their legs are pale.<ref name="BLI2"/>
<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File: Apteryx owenii 0.jpg|Illustration by [[J. G. Keulemans]] from a work by [[George Dawson Rowley|G. D. Rowley]], 1870s
File:Kiwi burrow entrance.jpg|Burrow entrance, Zealandia
</gallery>The little spotted kiwi had an obligate louse that parasitized on it, [[Rallicola|''Rallicola pilgrimi'']]. In an example of [[conservation-induced extinction]], all lice were killed while ensuring captive kiwis for survival.<ref name="Rózsa2014">{{cite journal |last1=Rózsa |first1=Lajos |last2=Vas |first2=Zoltán |date=2014-08-22 |title=Co-extinct and critically co-endangered species of parasitic lice, and conservation-induced extinction: should lice be reintroduced to their hosts? |url=http://real.mtak.hu/17477/1/oryx.pdf |journal=Oryx |volume=49 |issue=1 |pages=107–110 |doi=10.1017/s0030605313000628 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''Rallicola (Aptericola) pilgrimi''. NZTCS |url=https://nztcs.org.nz/assessments/20631 |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=nztcs.org.nz}}</ref>
==Distribution and habitat==
Studies on [[Kapiti Island]] show that they prefer flax, [[Seral community|seral]], and older forest habitats. Lower numbers are found in rough grassland and scrub, indicating that either they prefer other habitats or they simply need a larger territory to support themselves in these areas.<ref name="BLI2"/>
==Behaviour==
Little spotted kiwis eat grubs and other small insects that are found underground, and occasionally eat berries. Earthworms, [[cockchafer]] beetle larvae, caterpillars, [[cranefly]] larvae, and spiders are their most common foods.<ref name=animaldiversity>{{cite web | url= https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Apteryx_owenii/ | title=Apteryx owenii (Little spotted kiwi) | website=[[Animal Diversity Web]] }}</ref> Fruit of the [[Elaeocarpus dentatus|hinau tree]] is also commonly consumed.<ref name=animaldiversity/> [[Annelid]]s make up the largest percentage of the bird's diet.<ref name=animaldiversity/> Using its sharp talons and long beak, it digs into the ground and then shoves its long beak down the softened ground. As they cannot fly to get to insects or food on trees and their eyesight is very poor, they depend on a keen sense of smell, long beak and talons.<ref name="Davies" /> They are nocturnal. Little spotted kiwi call occasionally each night to advertise territory and to maintain contact with partners. Often pairs will duet. They are very territorial, and fight conspecifics with their sharp claws, resulting in many feathers on the ground.
===Reproduction===
[[File:Little-spotted kiwi egg.jpg|thumb|Egg in hand]]
They nest in an excavated burrow, dug by both birds and sometimes lined with plant material. Eggs are laid from July to January. The clutch size is one to two eggs (15% have 2), which are incubated by the male for 63–76 days. Chicks stay in the nest for 2–3 weeks after hatching and require feeding for 4 weeks.<ref name="Davies" /> Little spotted kiwi eggs weigh about 23% the weight of the parent bird; the largest ratio among kiwis and birds in general; but exceeded by some sea-living birds; such as the Guadalupe murrelet and storm petrel.
==Conservation==
At the time it was described, the species was common on the western side of the South Island and in Marlborough. Then a regular trade in skins sprang up and large numbers were collected for European museums. Further, with the advance of European settlement, birds were killed by prospectors and others for food and their attendant dogs and cats took their toll. The species was extinct on the North Island by 1938 when the last four South Island birds were moved from [[d'Urville Island (New Zealand)|d'Urville Island]] to the population that had been established on Kapiti Island.<ref name="hbw"/> After they were released on Kapiti Island, they were also moved to [[Red Mercury Island]], [[Hen and Chicken Islands|Hen Island]], [[Tiritiri Matangi Island]], Chalky Island, and [[Long Island, Marlborough|Long Island]] in the [[Queen Charlotte Sound (New Zealand)|Queen Charlotte Sound]]. In 2000, about 20 little spotted kiwis were released into [[Karori Wildlife Sanctuary]]. This was the first time since the 19th century that little spotted kiwis could be found on the mainland of the North Island.<ref name="BLI2"/> In 2015, 20 kiwis were translocated from Kapiti Island to Anchor Island.
As the smallest species of kiwi, the little spotted kiwi would be very vulnerable to the main kiwi predators like cats, dogs, and [[stoats in New Zealand|stoat]]s, however it is now restricted to several off-shore island reserves (mainly Kapiti Island) which are mostly free of introduced predators. The little spotted kiwi's conservation status is listed as "range restricted" (by 'Save the Kiwi'), with a growing population. Formerly classified as "[[Vulnerable species|vulnerable]]" by the [[IUCN]],<ref>BirdLife International (2008b)</ref> it was suspected to be more numerous than generally assumed. Following the evaluation of its population size, this was found to be correct, and it was consequently downlisted to "[[near threatened]]" status in 2008 as, although not rare, its small range puts it at risk.  The lack of predators, apart from weka (''[[Gallirallus australis]]''), is important to its increasing numbers. It has an occurrence range of {{convert|31|km2|sqmi|frac=4|abbr=on}}, and a population of 1600 was estimated in the year 2012.<ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021" />
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Breeding population and trends'''<ref name="BLI2" />
|-
!Location !! Population !! Date !! Trend
|-
|[[Hen and Chicken Islands|Hen Island]]|| 50 || 2012|| Increasing
|-
|[[Kapiti Island]] || c.1200 ||2012 ||Stable
|-
|[[Red Mercury Island]] || 70 ||2012 ||Increasing
|-
|[[Long Island, Marlborough|Long Island]] || 50 || 2012 ||Increasing
|-
|[[Tiritiri Matangi]] || 80 || 2012 ||Increasing
|-
|[[Zealandia (wildlife sanctuary)|Zealandia Wildlife Sanctuary]] || 120 ||2012 ||Increasing
|-
|[[Motuihe Island]] || 30|| 2012||Stable
|-
|[[Anchor Island]]|| 20 || 2015 ||Increasing
|-
|[[Chalky Island (New Zealand)|Chalky Island]]
|50
|2012
|Stable
|-
|Total (New Zealand)
|1670
|2012
|Increasing
|}
== Citations ==
<references />
== General and cited references ==
* {{Cite web  |author=BirdLife International |title=Little Spotted Kiwi – BirdLife Species Factsheet |url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=9&m=0 | access-date=6 Feb 2009 | year=2008a| work=Data Zone}}
* {{Cite web |author=BirdLife International |title=What's New (2008) |url=http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/global_species_programme/whats_new.html |access-date=4 Feb 2009 |date=2008b |work=IUCN RedList |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070828022837/http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/species/global_species_programme/whats_new.html |archive-date=2007-08-28 }}
* {{Cite encyclopedia |last=Davies |first=S.J.J.F. |year=2003 |editor=Hutchins, Michael |title=Kiwis |encyclopedia=Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia |volume=8 Birds I: ''Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins'' |edition=2nd |publisher=Gale Group |location=Farmington Hills, MI|isbn=0-7876-5784-0 |pages=89–90, 92–93}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Gotch |first1=A.F. |year= 1995 |orig-year=1979 |title=Latin Names Explained. A Guide to the Scientific Classifications of Reptiles, Birds & Mammals |publisher=Facts on File |location=London|isbn=0-8160-3377-3|page=181|chapter=Kiwis}}
* {{Cite web |title=Little spotted kiwi |url= https://savethekiwi.nz/about-kiwi/kiwi-species/little-spotted-kiwi/ |publisher=Save the Kiwi |access-date=20 May 2023}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|Apteryx owenii}}
* {{Cite web |author=BirdLife International |title=Species factsheet: ''Apteryx owenii'' |url= http://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/little-spotted-kiwi-apteryx-owenii | access-date=27 Nov 2023 | year=2023| work=Data Zone}}
{{Birds of New Zealand}}
{{Portal bar|Birds|New Zealand}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q244197}}
[[Category:Apteryx|little spotted kiwi]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1847|little spotted kiwi]]
[[Category:Endemic birds of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Taxa named by John Gould|little spotted kiwi]]