Little Spotted Kiwi

The Little Spotted Kiwi is the smallest of the kiwi species, roughly the size of a domestic hen, with soft, finely mottled grey plumage that gives it a more delicately patterned look than its larger brown relatives. Like all kiwi it is flightless, tailless, and has a long, slender bill with nostrils at the tip used to sniff out prey.

Once found across mainland New Zealand, the species was eliminated from the mainland by introduced predators, chiefly stoats, and today survives only thanks to translocations to predator-free island sanctuaries such as Kapiti Island and to fenced mainland reserves such as Zealandia in Wellington, making it a major conservation success story of careful management.

Key field marks

• Small size, noticeably smaller than other kiwi species
• Soft grey plumage finely mottled or barred with lighter grey and buff
• Long, slender, pale bill
• No visible tail; tiny hidden wings
• Stocky legs relative to its small body

Similar species

• North Island Brown Kiwi and Southern Brown Kiwi are both notably larger and warmer reddish-brown rather than grey and finely mottled.
• Great Spotted Kiwi is also mottled grey but is considerably larger, roughly double the weight.

Range

Historically found throughout New Zealand, but now restricted to predator-free islands (notably Kapiti Island) and fenced sanctuaries such as Zealandia, with reintroductions to several other protected sites.

Habitat

Inhabits native forest and scrub with a deep leaf-litter layer for foraging, requiring predator-free conditions to survive.

Migration

Non-migratory and flightless; birds hold small stable territories within their protected habitat.

Behavior

Entirely nocturnal, sheltering by day in a burrow and emerging at night to forage alone across a defended territory, using calls to advertise ownership to neighbors.

Voice

Males give a high, shrill whistle and females a lower, harsher call, usually heard well after dark.

Feeding

Probes soft soil and leaf litter with its bill, detecting invertebrates such as earthworms and beetle larvae by smell.

Nesting

Nests in a burrow or hollow; the female lays one, sometimes two, large eggs, and the male generally undertakes all or most of the roughly 70-80 day incubation period.