Great grey kiwi, Roroa
The great spotted kiwi, great grey kiwi or roroa (Apteryx haastii ) is a species of kiwi endemic to the South Island of New Zealand. The great spotted kiwi, as a member of the ratites, is flightless. It is the largest of the kiwi. The rugged topography and harsh climate of the high altitude alpine part of its habitat render it inhospitable to a number of introduced mammalian predators, which include dogs, ferrets, cats, and stoats. Because of this, populations of this species have been less seriously affected by the predations of these invasive species compared to other kiwi. Nonetheless, there has been a 43% decline in population in the past 45 years, due to these predators and habitat destruction. This has led it to be classified as vulnerable. There are less than 16,000 great spotted kiwis in total, almost all in the more mountainous parts of northwest Nelson, the northwest coast, and the Southern Alps. A minority live on island reserves.
This kiwi is highly aggressive, and pairs will defend their large territories against other kiwi. Great spotted kiwi are nocturnal, and will sleep during the day in burrows. At night, they feed on invertebrates and will also eat plants. Great spotted kiwi breed between June and March. The egg is the largest of all birds in proportion to the size of the bird. Chicks take 75 to 85 days to hatch, and after hatching, they are abandoned by their parents.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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VermivorousVermivore (from Latin vermi, meaning "worm" and vorare, "to devour") is a zoological term for animals that eat worms (including annelids, nematodes...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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Flightless birdFlightless birds are birds that through evolution lost the ability to fly. There are over 60 extant species including the well known ratites (ostri...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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CursorialA cursorial organism is one that is adapted specifically to run. An animal can be considered cursorial if it has the ability to run fast (e.g. chee...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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Island endemicIsland endemic animals are found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island. Animals or organisms that are indigenous to a place ar...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Great spotted kiwi is a flightless bird native to New Zealand. It is the largest of the kiwis. The eyes of this bird are small and do not see well, as it relies mostly on its sense of smell. The legs are short, with three toes per foot. It has a plumage composed of soft, hair-like feathers, which have no aftershafts. The plumage can range from charcoal grey to light brown. The Great spotted kiwi has large whiskers around the gape, and it has no tail, only a small pygostyle. The common name of this bird comes from black spots on its feathers.
Great spotted kiwi are native to the South Island of New Zealand. They are present from northwestern Nelson to the Buller River, the northwest coast (Hurunui River to Arthur's Pass), and the Paparoa Range, as well as within the Lake Rotoiti Mainland Island. These birds live in tussock grasslands, scrubland, pasture, and forests.
Great spotted kiwi are generally solitary and can be seen in pairs only during the breeding season. These are highly aggressive birds; pairs defend their large territories against other kiwi and will call, chase, or fight intruders out. Great spotted kiwi are nocturnal and sleep during the day in burrows that they construct. Up to fifty burrows can exist in one bird's territory and they will often move around, staying in a different burrow every day. At night, they come out to feed. To find prey, the birds use their scenting skills or feel vibrations caused by the movement of their prey. To do the latter, a kiwi would stick its beak into the ground, and then use its beak to dig into the ground. Great spotted kiwi communicate with each other using growls, hisses, and bill snapping. Males have a call that resembles a warbling whistle, while females' call is harsh raspy, and also warbling.
Great spotted kiwi are omnivores. They eat earthworms, grubs, beetles, cicada, crickets, flies, weta, spiders, caterpillars, slugs and snails. These birds also consume fallen fruits, berries, and seeds.
Great spotted kiwi are monogamous and form pairs that sometimes last up twenty years. The breeding season begins in June and ends in March, as this is when food is plentiful. Males chase females around until the females either run off or mate. Prior to egg-laying, there is a gestation period that lasts around 1 month. Because of the large size of the egg, gestation is uncomfortable for the female, and they do not move much. A single egg is laid in the burrow usually between August and January. The male incubates the egg while the female guards the nest. The male leaves the nest only for a few hours to hunt, and during this time, the female takes over. It takes 75 to 85 days for the egg to hatch. The chick is precocial; it hatches with eyes open and fully-feathered. Parents don't feed and don't take care of their offspring. After 10 days, the chick starts to come out of the burrow to hunt and will stay with its parents for around 12 months. Males usually reach reproductive maturity at 18 months in captivity, while females are able to lay eggs after 3 years.
The Great spotted kiwi population started declining when European settlers first arrived in New Zealand. The main threat is from invasive predators including mustelids, brush-tailed possum, feral cats, dogs, and pigs. Humans have also endangered Great spotted kiwi; they destroyed their habitat by logging forests and building mines. Previously, humans hunted these birds for feathers and food.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total Great spotted kiwi population size is around 15,000 individuals which is roughly equivalent to 14,500 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
Great spotted kiwi disperse seeds throughout their habitat, thus playing a very important role in the ecosystem they live in.
