#apterygiformes

[herpsandbirds]

Little Spotted Kiwi (Apteryx owenii), Apterygidae, order Apterygiformes, New Zealand

Near Threatened.

The smallest of the 5 kiwi species.

In pre-European times occurred in both main islands, but is now mostly restricted to a number of small offshore islands.

They were rediscovered on the South Island in the Adams Wilderness Area in Summer of 2025.

Once endangered, exhaustive recovery work has brought this species back from the brink!

photographs: Judi Lapsley Miller & Laurie Ross

[best-bird-tournament]

Kiwi (Apterygiformes) family / Apterygidae family / Apteryx genus

Which is the best bird?

North Island brown kiwi

Okarito kiwi

Southern brown kiwi

Little spotted kiwi

Great spotted kiwi

Voting ended onJan 13

This order contains just five extant species, all within the same family and genus.

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Though it may not look like it, kiwis actually have the shortest beak of any bird! Scientists measure the length of a birds beak from their nostrils to the tip; kiwis have their nostrils right at the end to help them sniff out insects underneath the leaf litter and soil, so by scientific standards their beak is no more than a centimeter (0.3 in) long!

(Image: A southern brown kiwi (Apteryx australis) by Luke Seitz)

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

forget if i've already asked, but have you done kiwi bird?

I can do a different species than the last ones!

Have you seen the southern brown kiwi (Apteryx australis)?

I have now

Yes, in photos/videos

Yes, irl

I'm not sure

Voting ended onJun 28

[bestanimal]

Round 3 - Reptilia - Apterygiformes

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Our next order of paleognath birds are the Apterygiformes, commonly called “kiwi”. Apterygiformes contains one living family, Apterygidae, with all five living species falling under one genus: Apteryx.

Kiwis are the smallest flightless paleognaths, about the size of a Domestic Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). They have tiny, vestigial wings and wing-claws that are almost invisible under their bristly, hair-like feathers. Their bill is long, pliable and sensitive to touch. Kiwi eyes are the smallest, relative to body mass, in all birds, resulting in the smallest visual field as well. Their eyes have some specialisations for their nocturnal lifestyle, but kiwi rely more heavily on their other senses. They have long, sensitive rictal bristles on their face that are similar to whiskers, detecting tactile sensations. Unusual for birds, kiwis have a highly developed sense of smell, and are the only birds with nostrils at the end of their long beaks. Kiwi eat small invertebrates, seeds, grubs, and many varieties of worms. They may also eat fruit, small crayfish, eels, and amphibians. Because their nostrils are located at the end of their beaks, kiwi can locate insects and worms underground using their keen sense of smell, without actually seeing or feeling them. Kiwi are native only to New Zealand.

Kiwis form monogamous pairs, though they do not spend all their time together. During the mating season, the pair will call to each other at night, and meet in the nesting burrow every three days. These relationships may last for up to 20 years. Kiwi females carry and lay a single egg that may weigh as much as 450 g (16 oz), up to 1/4 the weight of the female, the largest of any egg in relation to its mother. Producing the huge egg places significant physiological stress on the female. For the thirty days it takes to grow the fully developed egg, the female must eat three times her normal amount of food. Two to three days before the egg is laid there is little space left inside the female for her stomach and she is forced to fast. Some species can lay up to 5 eggs in a single clutch, but most just lay 1 or 2. Kiwi eggs are smooth in texture, and are ivory or greenish white. Once laid, the male incubates the egg(s), except for the Great Spotted Kiwi, (Apteryx maxima) (image 3), in which both parents are involved. Males may leave the nest to forage for hours, during which they cover the egg(s) with dirt and leaf litter. Once a chick hatches, it consumes the remaining highly nutritious shell and egg contents. After hatching, chicks usually do not receive further parental care, as they are born precocious with near full senses and mobility. Chicks generally leave the nest within ten days of hatching and remain in their parent's territory, foraging and nesting independently, until they are large enough to establish their own territory.

Apterygiformes arose in the Miocene. One extinct Miocene species, Proapteryx micromeros, was smaller and probably capable of flight, suggesting that kiwis secondarily lost their ability to fly after their ancestors flew to New Zealand.

Do you have a favorite in Apterygiformes?

One or more of my favorite animals is in Apterygiformes

I love at least one or more of these animals

I like at least one or more of these animals

I am neutral about all of these animals

I dislike all of these animals

Voting ended onApr 10, 2025

Propaganda under the cut:

Kiwis are the national symbol of New Zealand, so much that New Zealanders themselves are commonly called “kiwis”.

Kiwis are the closest living relatives of the extinct, flightless elephant birds (order Aepyornithiformes), which were native to the island of Madagascar. One species of elephant bird, Aepyornis maximus, is considered one of the largest birds to have ever lived, estimated at 3 metres (9.8 ft) in height and weighing 275–1,000 kilograms (610–2,200 lb). Research suggests that both elephant birds and kiwi were descended from small flighted birds that flew to New Zealand and Madagascar.

Four species of kiwi are currently listed as vulnerable, and one is near threatened. All species have been negatively affected by historic deforestation, but their remaining habitat is well protected in large forest reserves and national parks. At present, the greatest threat to their survival is predation by invasive predators like the Stoat (Mustela erminea) (introduced to control invasive rabbits), Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris), Domestic Cat (Felis catus), and Domestic Ferret (Mustela furo).

Before the arrival of humans in the 13th century or earlier, New Zealand's only endemic mammals were three species of bat, and the ecological niches that in other parts of the world were filled by diverse mammals were taken up by birds (and, to a lesser extent, reptiles, insects and gastropods). The kiwi's mostly nocturnal habits may be a result of habitat intrusion by invasive predators and humans. In areas of New Zealand where introduced predators have been removed, such as sanctuaries, kiwi are often seen in daylight.

The Māori traditionally believed that kiwi were under the protection of Tāne Mahuta, god of the forest. They were used as food and their feathers were used for kahu kiwi ceremonial cloaks. Today, while kiwi feathers are still used, they are gathered from birds that die naturally, through road accidents, or predation, and from captive birds. In most American and European zoos that keep kiwis, any shed kiwi feathers, and the kiwis themselves when they pass away, are shipped back to New Zealand to be utilized and buried by the Māori. Kiwi are no longer hunted and Māori consider themselves the birds' guardians.

[life-on-our-planet]

Brown Kiwi Mating Spectacle | Wild New Zealand | BBC Earth

[birds--daily]

hiii I love your birds

can I get a kiwi? they're so silly :3

day 24

today's bird is the north island brown kiwi!

- the north island brown kiwi holds the record for largest eggs relative to body size! (about 15% of their body weight)

- they have unusually large ears

- they have a strong sense of smell, which they use to track down their prey

[every-day-creechur]

Southern Brown Kiwi Apteryx australis

A kiwi bird from the South Island of New Zealand. It is a monogamous species and once paired up, they will defend their territories with warning calls. They will also sing duets with each other, with the male shrill "kee-wee" or "kee-kee" and the females hoarse " kurr kurr".

image by jonoplant123