Benefiting Ecosystems

An environmental champion - Creating pest- and predator-free sanctuaries to help save kiwi brings benefits for all other native plants and animals that live in the area.

That’s because kiwi are known as an ‘indicator species’ – a sort of litmus test to show the overall health of a forest.

If kiwi do well, it means the complex web of life – the links between native animals, plants, fungi and where they live – is also doing well.

By helping kiwi we help the whole forest.

Seven indicator species

Kiwi are one of seven indicator species used by the Department of Conservation to indicate the health of ecosystems.

The others are the lesser short-tailed bat, kaka, kokako, dactylanthus (the wood rose), wrybill and mohua.

The number of kiwi in an area gives conservation managers a clear picture of how many warm-blooded predators are around. Simply put, more kiwi means fewer predators. And fewer predators means that other New Zealand native birds and insects will also be doing better.

For example, possums disturb kiwi nests, and are also known to eat Powelliphanta (New Zealand’s giant carnivorous land snail) and the eggs and chicks of many other native birds. Stoats, one of New Zealand’s most devastating imports, are as deadly for native insects, bats and other native birds as for kiwi. And rats take a huge impact on the whole natural ecosystem, not only killing native animals, but also stealing their food.

Strategic Plans & Docs

The Department of Conservation has formal strategies and plans to guide how kiwi are managed.

Workshops

The kiwi workers network lets us share what we know, and learn from other people.

Kiwi Characteristics

Small, flightless and largely nocturnal, the kiwi’s characteristics make it unique in the bird world.

Did You Know?

In 1906, the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, in Washington D.C., was the first North American zoo to exhibit kiwi. Brown kiwi have been on permanent display since 1968 – the first pair was a gift from the New Zealand government.