Archives For Moehau

Today’s photo shows one of the Coromandel brown kiwi relocated to predator-free Motutapu Island in the Hauraki Gulf last week.

Kiwi being released on Motutapu. Photo by Kiwis for Kiwi.

It was the biggest ever single translocation of Coromandel brown kiwi and was done to create new diversity and future-proof the species.

Did you know?

There are 5 kiwi species:

  • Little spotted kiwi on several offshore islands and at Karori Sanctuary in Wellington
  • Great spotted kiwi/roroa in the northern South Island
  • Brown kiwi in the North Island
  • Rowi at Okarito, on the West Coast of the South Island
  • Tokoeka in the South Island (Fiordland, the Haast Range and on Stewart Island) and on Kapiti Island.

2 of the 5 kiwi species have distinct geographical varieties within them:

  • Brown kiwi have four geographically and genetically distinct forms: Northland, Coromandel, western and eastern.
  • Tokoeka also have four distinct geographical forms: Haast, northern Fiordland, southern Fiordland, and Stewart Island.