Data Zone
Taxonomic note
Apteryx australis, A. mantelli and A. rowi (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) were previously treated as A. australis and A. mantelli (incorporating rowi) following Baker et al. (1995); prior to that all three taxa were lumped as A. australis following Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993). Nominate subspecies further divides into two genetically well-separated populations, based respectively on Haast R (plumage distinctively rufous) and Fiordland (plumage grey-brown) (Burbidge et al. 2003, Herbert and Daugherty 2002). Two subspecies currently recognized.
Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | A2be+3be+4be |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Vulnerable | A2be+3be+4be |
| 2016 | Vulnerable | A2be+3be+4be |
| 2013 | Vulnerable | A2be+3be+4be |
| 2012 | Vulnerable | A2be+3be+4be |
| 2008 | Vulnerable | A2b,e; A3b,e; A4b,e |
| 2004 | Vulnerable | |
| 2000 | Vulnerable | |
| 1996 | Vulnerable | |
| 1994 | Not Recognised | |
| 1988 | Not Recognised |
| Migratory status | not a migrant | Forest dependency | low |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 69,300 km2 | medium |
| Number of locations | 11-100 | - |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 16500 mature individuals | medium | estimated | 2018 |
| Population trend | decreasing | medium | inferred | 1995-2030 |
| Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 30-49% | - | - | - |
| Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 30-49% | - | - | - |
| Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods) | 30-49% | - | - | - |
| Generation length | 11.8 years | - | - | - |
| Number of subpopulations | 4-10 | - | - | - |
| Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation | 1-89% | - | - | - |
Population justification: The 2013 total population was estimated at 21,350 birds (Heather and Robertson 2015), down from previous estimates of 27,225 (± c.25%) birds in 1996 (Robertson 2003) and 29,800 birds in 2008 (Holzapfel et al. 2008). The population was estimated to number 24,850 individuals in total in 2018 (southern Fiordland 3,900, northern Fiordland 8,200, Stewart Island 12,300, Haast 450) (Germano et al. 2018), roughly equivalent to 16,500 mature individuals.
Trend justification: This species is inferred to be declining as a result of introduced predators and this trend is predicted to continue (Robertson et al. 2021). The populations in northern and southern Fiordland are thought to be declining in the range 30-70% and 50-70% respectively (Robertson et al. 2021). The majority of the species is not currently receiving active conservation management and these unmanaged populations are thought to be declining by 2% per year (Germano et al. 2018). The total number of individuals is thought to have decreased from 29,800 in 2008 to 24,850 in 2018 based on estimates in Innes et al. (2015) projected to 2018, and is suspected to decrease further to 21,550 by 2030 with existing levels of management (Germano et al. 2018) which is equivalent to a c.46% decline within three generations. Recent research suggests the population on Stewart Island may be stable as previously detected declines at Mason Bay are likely to have been localised (Robertson et al. 2021). However, given the steep ongoing declines in the southern and northern Fiordland populations, it remains plausible that the global rate of decline exceeds 30% within three generations. Only the small Haast population is increasing - this population was reported as 225 individuals in 1996 (Robertson 2003), but intensive pest control and ex-situ hatching of wild-sourced eggs and chick-rearing in predator-free crèches, and the establishment of small populations at pest-free mainland and island sites has resulted in a growth to 350 birds in 2013 (Robertson and de Monchy 2012, Heather and Robertson 2015) and 450 birds in 2018 (Germano et al. 2018).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | extant | native | yes |
| Country/Territory | IBA Name |
|---|
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Pastureland | suitable | resident |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Plantations | suitable | resident |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland | suitable | resident |
| Forest | Temperate | suitable | resident |
| Grassland | Temperate | marginal | resident |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Sand Dunes | suitable | resident |
| Shrubland | Subtropical/Tropical Moist | suitable | resident |
| Shrubland | Temperate | suitable | resident |
| Altitude | 0 - 1500 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Canis familiaris | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Felis catus | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Mustela erminea | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Mustela furo | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Trichosurus vulpecula | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Rapid Declines | Medium Impact: 6 | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic species/disease of unknown origin - Unspecified species | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
|
|||||||||
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Southern Brown Kiwi Apteryx australis. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/southern-brown-kiwi-apteryx-australis on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.