Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apterygiformes
Family: Apterygidae
Genus: Apteryx
Species: A. rowi
Binomial name: Apteryx rowi
Common names: Okarito kiwi, Rowi, Okarito brown kiwi
Apteryx rowi is a member of the kiwi family Apterygidae, described as new to science in 2003. The species is part of the brown kiwi complex and is morphologically very similar to other members of that complex. It is the rarest of the five species of kiwi. It is found in a small restricted area of the Okarito lowland forest on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It has been now been introduced to the predator-free islands of Mana, Motuara and Blumine, all in the Cook Strait region.
Apteryx rowi is currently classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN due to habitat loss and predation by introduced stoats. In 2015 the population was about 450. Conservation efforts such as Operation Nest Egg and the stoat control regime have been partially successful in restoring this species population. Operation Nest Egg involves removing eggs from the risk of predation, hatching them in captivity, and placing the chicks in a predator-free environment until they are big enough to fend for themselves. They are then returned to the wild.
An adult female Apteryx rowi can weight >2.6 kg, the male is smaller at 1.9 kg. They are a pale greyish brown, streaked lengthways with brown and black; many birds have white patches on the face.
For more information visit: http://nzbirdsonline.org.nz/species/okarito-brown-kiwi
and https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/kiwi/rowi/
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
