This nocturnal kiwi probes leaf litter and rotten wood with its long bill. It lives in forests and scrub on New Zealand’s North Island and eats small invertebrates.
Its plumage is shaggy and brown. It has a long, slender, slightly downcurved bill, with the nostrils near the tip.
North Island Brown Kiwi rest in daytime shelters and probe soil or leaf litter at night for invertebrates. Partners may duet, one calling shortly after the other.
Males incubate the eggs. At selected sites, conservationists protect eggs or chicks and rear young in safer settings before returning them to the wild, reducing early predation losses.
Continued predator management and work to reduce encounters with dogs support adults as well as young birds. The species benefits from ongoing community conservation.
New Zealand conservation status (DOC account) · Not Threatened (conservation dependent) · New Zealand
Habitat loss and predation by dogs, ferrets and stoats are threats. Head-starting and continued predator and dog management support populations.