The Fiordland tokoeka or Fiordland kiwi (''Apteryx australis australis'') is a subspecies of
southern brown kiwi
The southern brown kiwi, tokoeka, or common kiwiDavies, S. J. J. F. (2003) (''Apteryx australis'') is a species of kiwi from South Island, New Zealand. Until 2000 it was considered conspecific with the North Island brown kiwi, and still is by ...
. It is endemic to
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. Like other
ratites, it is flightless.
Morphology
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.
The nostrils are at the end of the bill, not at the top near the rest of its face.
Habitat and diet
The Fiordland tokoeka lives in
Fiordland
Fiordland is a geographical region of New Zealand in the south-western corner of the South Island, comprising the westernmost third of Southland. Most of Fiordland is dominated by the steep sides of the snow-capped Southern Alps, deep lake ...
and on nearby islands. Its range extends from the
Milford Sound
Milford Sound / Piopiotahi is a fiord in the south west of New Zealand's South Island within Fiordland National Park, Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) Marine Reserve, and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. It has been judged the world's top t ...
to
Lake Te Anau
Lake Te Anau is in the southwestern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The lake covers an area of , making it the second-largest lake by surface area in New Zealand (after Lake Taupō) and the largest in the South Island. It is the larg ...
to
Preservation Inlet
Rakituma / Preservation Inlet is the southernmost fiord in Fiordland National Park and lies on the southwest corner of the South Island of New Zealand. With an area of , it is the fourth largest fiord in New Zealand, after Tamatea / Dusky Sound ...
.
The adult Fiordland tokoeka is solitary and territorial, fighting other adult kiwis over feeding grounds. It is
nocturnal.
Threats
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
stoat
The stoat (''Mustela erminea''), also known as the Eurasian ermine, Beringian ermine and ermine, is a mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern portions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least Conc ...
s,
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.
Breeding
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.
References
Apteryx
Birds of New Zealand
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