Little Spotted Kiwi
Greetings, humans. As of late, my research has been concerning the endangered Little Spotted Kiwi, native to the country of New Zealand. Here is an image:
History of the Little Spotted Kiwi and Current Population
Before European settlers arrived on the shores, these little kiwis were native to the two islands of mainland New Zealand. They were almost driven to extinction due to a multitude of reasons, the main ones being the fur trade, food, and sport for domestic animals, such as cats and dogs. Since 1938, the little spotted kiwi has been moved to surrounding offshore islands to protect its population. As shown by the below data gathered in 2012, the little spotted kiwi has very few numbers. Most reside on the island of Kapiti. Fortunately, conservation efforts are proving to be effective. The trend for the kiwi population is increasing or stable across the board.
The islands currently inhabited by these kiwis are shown in red on the map below:
- Hen Island
- Tiritiri Matangi
- Red Mercury Island
- Motuihe Island
- Kapiti Island
- Long Island
- Anchor Island
- Chalky Island
Ecological, Economic, and Cultural Value
Kiwis naturally till the soil by digging their beaks into the ground when feasting on bugs such as catepillars, earthworms, and spiders and the larvae of beetles and craneflies. They also eat fruit from surrounding forest trees. Their omnivorous diet helps control the insect population and spread the seeds of local vegetation around the environment.
Honestly, if the little spotted kiwi were to completely disappear from Earth tomorrow, the following ecological consequences would not be severe. However, New Zealand's economy would suffer immense blows. Kiwis promote tourism and the conservation efforts to increase their population have also raised awareness for ecological habitat conservation.
Kiwis also hold immense importance to the Maori people, the Indigenous people of mainland New Zealand. The bird is a taonga (treasure) and holds very strong cultural, spiritual and historic value.
Conservation Efforts
According to this Earth.com article, there are three main steps being taken to maximize conservation.
The first step is to avert the biggest predatory threat: dogs, feral cats, stoats, and ferrets. By removing these animals from kiwi conservation sites, the little creatures are safe to roam freely. On islands where the little spotted kiwi and humans coexist, domestic dogs go through kiwi aversion training.
Since kiwis produce very few offspring (1-2 eggs) with the highest mortality rate within the first few months of life, conservationists have come up with "Operation Nest Egg." This program raises chicks in captivity and returns them back into their safe habitat.
Lastly, and quite obviously, habitat protection is the key role in conservation efforts. Little spotted kiwis thrive in temperate, evergreen, and broadleaf forests. In order for them to repopulate, the small birds must have access to this ecosystem.
How to Help
Conservationists in New Zealand work hard to maintain and support a sufficient habitat for their little kiwis. They have had to convince the government to preserve resources that could have otherwise been harvested for profit (i.e. timber from forests). Entire islands have been put aside and left untouched for these birds, and the efforts have been fruitful!
Save the Kiwi
Save the Kiwi is a charity organization that works alongside whānau, hapū, iwi, conservation groups, communities, organizations, and the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai to reverse the decline of the national kiwi population and create more kiwi-safe habitat all over Aotearoa. They are largely in charge of "Operation Nest Egg" programs that ensure the safety of kiwi chicks.
Now, it is more important than ever to protect natural habitats and encourage the restoration of previous ones. The kiwis, and all other endangered Earthen species, depend on it.
- EM
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