Southern Brown Kiwi
Apteryx australis
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderApterygiformes (Kiwis)
- FamilyApterygidae (Kiwis)
- GenusApteryx (Kiwis)
- SpeciesApteryx australis (Southern Brown Kiwi)
About the Southern Brown Kiwi
The southern brown kiwi, tokoeka, or common kiwi (Apteryx australis) is a species of kiwi from South Island of New Zealand. Until 2000 it was considered conspecific with the North Island brown kiwi, and still is by some authorities.
Apteryx australis is based on Greek and Latin. Apteryx means "A-" without "pterux" wings, and "australis" from "auster" the south wind, and "-alis" relating to. The southern brown kiwi belongs to the kiwi family and it is a ratite, and a member of the order Apterygiformes. Like all ratites, its sternum has no keel, it is flightless, and it has a distinctive palate.
The holotype specimen of Apteryx australis Shaw is held in the collections of National Museums Liverpool at World Museum, with accession number NML-VZ D180. The specimen was collected by Captain Barclay at Dusky Sound, South Island, New Zealand and came to the Liverpool national collection via the 13th Earl of Derby's collection which was bequeathed to the people of Liverpool.
The southern brown kiwi is divided into two subspecies, with some conservationists arguing for a third: A. a. australis, the Fiordland tokoeka, with a population of approximately 15,000 birds is found on... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Southern Brown Kiwi in Fiordland National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Fiordland National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Southern Brown Kiwi in Fiordland National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Brown Kiwi sighting in Fiordland National Park, based on 62 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Southern Brown Kiwi in Fiordland National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Southern Brown Kiwi in Fiordland National Park in our monthly data.