Endangered Animals: Birds

Endangered Animals: Birds — page 5 — EW Northern Brown Kiwi EX CR EN VU NT LC O Apteryx mantelli The mainland populations of the unique northern brown kiwi found only in New Zealand have suffered huge declines in the 20th century mainly due to plundering by introduced predators W ith its shaggy hairlike plumage a plump round body a lack of visible tail or wings and an ability to track down food in the dead of night kiwis resemble nocturnal mammals rather than typical birds Like many mammals they also rest and shelter their young in burrows and mark their boundaries with strong smelling droppings the bristly modified feathers at the base of the bill serve as whiskers for feeling in the dark Isolated for millions of years on New Zealand where there are no native mammals except bats the brown kiwi has occupied a niche that elsewhere would be filled by a mammal Kiwis are the smallest living ratites a group of flightless birds that includes the ostrich rheas cassowaries and the emu none of which are nocturnal Until recently ornithologists recognized three species of kiwi the little spotted kiwi the brown kiwi and the great spotted kiwi Genetic research has led to the brown kiwi being split into two distinct species the northern brown kiwi and the tokoeka of a few areas in South Island The Maori name kiwi comes from the shrill call of males which punctuates the night especially during the breeding season Long Term Decline Northern brown kiwis were once widespread throughout North Island Although they were hunted by the Maori who had colonized New Zealand from the Pacific by the 12th century this probably had little effect on overall numbers It was not until the European settlers arrived in the mid 19th century that persecution of the birds began in earnest as hunters 8 The female northern brown kiwi lays large eggs Each egg weighs as much as 20 percent of her body weight tried to satisfy the demand for kiwi plumage by the clothing trade A law banning the hunting capture or killing of kiwis was passed in 1908 but the pace of land clearance for agriculture and settlements destroyed much of the kiwi’s forest habitat The birds fate was further sealed by the introduction of predatory mammals such as cats dogs and stoats As a result of the combined threats large scale losses of brown kiwis occurred Researchers think that numbers of brown kiwis have fallen by at least 90 percent over the last 100 years and continue to decline at about 6 percent every year in studied sites This represents the halving of the population each decade However the species overall decline is probably below 80 percent thanks to the stability of the populations introduced to islands where predators are removed and also to effective predator control in mainland sites The main threat facing the northern brown kiwi is still introduced predators especially since it evolved with no native predators At least 94 percent of kiwi chicks die before they reach breeding age about 14 months for males and two years for females Half of this mortality is due to predation The other main cause of decline is the clearance of native forest which threatens small isolated populations Many

Endangered Animals: Birds — page 6 — NORTHERN BROWN KIWI DATA PANEL Northern brown kiwi Apteryx mantelli Family Apterygidae World population About 35,000 birds Distribution North Island in Northland Coromandel Peninsula from Gisborne to northern Ruahine Range and Tongariro to Taranaki Introduced to Little Barrier Kawau and Pounui Islands Habitat Subtropical and temperate forests regenerating forest shrubland pine plantations and pastureland Size Length 16 in 40 cm Weight male 3 6 5 lb 1 4 3 kg female 4 5 8 lb 2 3 8 kg Form Bird the size of a small dog small head long slightly downcurved bill with bristles at base long neck usually drawn in rotund body covered with coarse hairlike plumage that is dark gray-brown with red-brown streaks rudimentary wing stubs in plumage strong legs 4 toes on each foot Diet Invertebrates in soil and leaf litter especially earthworms spiders and insects also fruit seeds and leaves Breeding Female lays 1 or 2 very large eggs in August September in burrow or natural cavity egg s incubated by male for 11 12 weeks chick s independent at 14 20 days fully grown by 20 months Related endangered species Great spotted kiwi Apteryx haastii VU little spotted kiwi A owenii NT tokoeka A australis VU Status IUCN EN 9 The northern brown kiwi is nocturnal and has tiny poorly developed eyes that enable it to see only a few yards ahead Unusually for a bird it detects its prey by smell kiwis also used to die in traps set to catch predators or possums animals reached plague proportions in some areas Today this is avoided by raising traps above the ground so that the kiwis do not stumble upon them Conservation Conservationists have an accurate picture of kiwi populations thanks to an intensive nationally coordinated program of monitoring By culling introduced predators and by removing eggs and hand-rearing the young to an age when they can fend off attacks key populations have been helped Continued protection is needed to save the northern brown kiwi North Island NEW ZEALAND South Island

Endangered Animals: Birds — page 7 — EX EW CR EN VU NT LC Galápagos Penguin Spheniscus mendiculus The only species of penguin to live on the Equator the portly Galápagos penguin breeds on at least five of the Galápagos Islands Because of its restricted range and very small population a sharp decline in numbers is particularly disturbing O penguins are normally associated with cold habitats in and around Antarctica although several species have ranges that include warmer climates The Humboldt penguin for instance breeds in coastal Chile and Peru However the Galápagos penguin a close relative of the Humboldt is the only species that lives entirely within the tropics on at least five islands of the Galápagos group Life at such latitudes is challenging for the birds since their DATA PANEL Diet Schools of ocean fish including sardines and mullet Possibly crustaceans Breeding Breeds at any time in small colonies or singly when food supply is adequate nests in lava tubes rock crevices or caves at least partly shaded from the sun 2 white eggs laid per breeding attempt pair shares incubation that lasts 5 6 weeks young leave nest at 8 5 9 weeks Related endangered species Nine other penguin species are threatened including African penguin Spheniscus demersus EN Humboldt penguin S humboldti VU erect-crested penguin Eudyptes sclateri EN Snares penguin E robustus VU Status IUCN EN Galápagos penguin Spheniscus mendiculus Family Spheniscidae World population Fluctuates greatly currently estimated at 1,500 individuals Distribution Galápagos Islands Ecuador Habitat Breeds on low-lying areas of coastal volcanic desert rarely more than 55 yards 50 m inland feeds around upwellings of cool nutrient-rich inshore waters Size Length 19 21 in 48 53 cm height 14 in 35 cm Weight average 3 8 5 7 lb 1 7 2 6 kg Form Small with black head white stripes on face black to brownish back and tail chin and underparts white variable pattern of black spots and irregular black bands on breast flippers brown-black above white below male more boldly marked Juveniles have grayish upperparts and lack distinctive face pattern 10 insulating plumage underlying fat and specialized blood heat exchange all adaptations for surviving in very cold water make it difficult for them to cope with the tropical heat when on land Temperatures in the Galápagos Islands can rise to more than 104 F 40 C Adaptations to Heat In order to survive the heat the Galápagos penguin has various anatomical and behavioral adaptations It is one of the smallest penguin species and the smaller an animal the greater its surface area relative to its total size Consequently the Galápagos penguin has a large surface area from which to dissipate lose heat when on land Heat loss is made easier by its having shorter feathers than any other species of penguin When ashore the adults seek shade They lose more heat by increasing the blood flow to their flippers feet and bare facial patches The flippers are proportionately larger than those of cold-climate penguins increasing the area where heat exchange can take place The animals blood supply can also bypass the heat-transfer system that helps maintain their body temperature in cold water Galápagos penguins often breed in rock crevices and caves such as lava tubes natural tunnels in lava flows that shade the birds and their chicks from the sun Major Threats The Galápagos penguin depends directly on the surrounding ocean for its survival COSTA RICA PANAMA COLOMBIA Galápagos Islands Ecuador ECUADOR PERU

Endangered Animals: Birds — page 8 — The Cromwell Current an upwelling of cool nutrient rich water maintains the fish stocks that the penguins rely on for food The current is susceptible to a periodic climatic event called the El Niño Southern Oscillation ENSO Records show that a population of 3,400 penguins declined by 77 percent between 1982 and 1983 an ENSO year that adversely affected the Cromwell Current reducing fish stocks and causing thousands of birds to starve It is likely that more females than males died which would have slowed the recovery of the population Another ENSO event in 1997 caused a further decline of 66 percent Galápagos penguins are known to be slow breeders the birth rate averaging out at only 1 3 chicks per year In ENSO years the entire population can fail to breed at all The animals also have a restricted breeding range with about 95 percent nesting on just two islands Chicks and eggs are vulnerable to natural predators such as rice rats snakes and crabs More serious threats are posed by introduced predators including feral dogs cats and brown and black rats which kill adults and chicks Galápagos penguins feed on the rich fish stocks around the Galápagos Islands The small dapper bird has large flippers and feet that help it dissipate body heat A tenfold increase in the permanent human population of the Galápagos in the last 40 years has led to disturbance of breeding sites and an expansion of coastal fisheries Penguins are caught in nets and suffer from competition for fish stocks Tourism adds to disruption visitors come to look at the birds To ensure the continued survival of the Galápagos penguin controls on fisheries oil spills human disturbance and the introduction of mammalian predators are urgently required as are scientific studies of the penguins to help increase their breeding success rate Most importantly we need to cut fossil fuel emissions to reduce global warming which is likely to increase ENSO events 11

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