Bird Album
North Island Brown Kiwi
Apteryx mantelli Bartlett, AD, 1852
2.3 kgWeight
This nocturnal brown bird probes the ground for food with its long bill.
Busiest months: October–November · Most records: New Zealand
How to identify
Field marks
- Brown feathers with streaks, giving a shaggy, spiky appearance
- Bill long and narrow, slightly decurved
Male, female and young
Female distinctly larger than male.
Voice
Soft grunts during courtship and breeding.
Where and when it's recorded
North Island Brown Kiwi has been recorded at 8 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Tawharanui Regional ParkNew Zealand317 records
- Rotokare Scenic ReserveNew Zealand61 records
- Maungatautari – Southern Enclosure & Tautari WetlandNew Zealand15 records
More places
- Tiritiri MatangiNew Zealand6 records
- Tawharanui Regional Park – LagoonNew Zealand4 records
- Tiritiri Matangi – Wattle TrackNew Zealand2 records
- Kapiti Island LodgeNew Zealand1 record
- Shakespear Regional ParkNew Zealand1 record
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) is a nocturnal flightless bird and species of kiwi that is widespread in the northern two-thirds of the North Island of New Zealand. Its population was estimated in 2015 to be 26,600 of which mature individuals numbered between 10,000 and 19,999. it is the most common kiwi species.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the North Island Brown Kiwi?
The North Island Brown Kiwi weighs around 2.3 kg.
Where does the North Island Brown Kiwi live?
Its breeding range: Australasia: North Island (New Zealand). It is most often recorded in New Zealand.
When is the best time to see the North Island Brown Kiwi?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the North Island Brown Kiwi endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the North Island Brown Kiwi as Vulnerable.
What does the North Island Brown Kiwi eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the North Island Brown Kiwi in?
It belongs to the family Kiwis (Apterygidae), order Apterygiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 2.3 kg
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Vulnerable
More measurements
- Wing
- 0 mm
- Tail
- 0 mm
- Bill
- 141 mm
- Tarsus
- 64 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Australasia: North Island (New Zealand)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Apterygiformes
- Family
- Kiwis Apterygidae
- Genus
- Apteryx
Other birds in the genus Apteryx
Southern Brown KiwiApteryx australis
Okarito KiwiApteryx rowi
Little Spotted KiwiApteryx owenii
Great Spotted KiwiApteryx maxima
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Caiden. ↗
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