North Island brown kiwi
kiwi-nui · Apteryx mantelli
Roosts in shady gullies and forages in the forest after dark. Listen for the males' shrill whistles.
Story
Kiwi have lived on Kawau for more than 140 years, yet numbers stayed puzzlingly low. Ponui Island, a little smaller, holds 1,500–2,000 kiwi descended from just 14 birds released in 1964.
Behaviour
Nocturnal and more often heard than seen. Kiwi probe leaf litter and soil with long bills that have the nostrils at the tip, so they smell their prey. Only the male incubates the egg.
There’s more about this bird on Kawau in the island’s history.