“The great shall be made small and the small shall be great”

By Rob Lawrence

A Biblical Reference? Well not exactly, but it sounds good. It also describes the history of the ratites in New Zealand in a sentence.

Picture courtesy Beverly McCulloch (see note 2)

The niche for browsing mammals was filled prehistorically by the great Moas. For millions of years these birds were the dominant species occupying the habitats from sea level to sub alpine herb fields. (See note 1 below)

Divided into two groups (emeids and dinornithids) there were eleven species of Moa. (Click to see pictures of these amazing birds.) The emid moas ( 8 species) tended to be shorter legged and more stoutly built than the dinornithids. This group lived throughout New Zealand as testified by the fossil and archaeological remains that have been found. The dinornithids (three species) were generally much taller, slender in build and configured for running. The largest Dinornis giganteus was the tallest bird which ever lived. Standing at nearly three metres tall and weighing approximately 240kg it towered over its smaller cousin, the coastal moa Euryapteryx curtus which was less than a metre tall and weighed around 20kg.

These species had to fear only the Haast Eagle, Harpagornis moorei prior to the coming of humans. This was the largest eagle that ever lived. Evidence of talon marks has been found in some moa remains. (See note 2 below)

The real threat to the moa culminated with the settlement of New Zealand by mankind. This is summed up in the following quote:

"Oceanic island extinctions can be correlated closely with the arrival of prehistoric seafarers. While they did not necessarily hunt all the small mammals or island birds and other animals to extinction, the side effects of the arrival of prehistoric colonisers were server and involved fire, habitat destruction and the introduction of alien fauna. Most native endemic fauna succumbed rapidly at the hands of prehistoric people."

Paul Martin, Prehistoric Overkill

Sadly these effects still haunt the environment of New Zealand today. These birds would have been magnificent to observe in their natural habitat.

New Zealand’s Great Ratites have gone and the smallest, the Kiwi now has become the Great. The kiwi is the icon for New Zealand and the nickname given to its citizens.

There are five species of kiwi found in New Zealand. They are tiny in comparison to the moa, with the largest the Great Spotted Kiwi, Apteryx haastii measures 45 cm and weighs 3-4 kg. Poor of sight but with an extremely acute sense of smell and hearing they are adapted well to their nocturnal existence Laying the largest egg (with a percent of body weight of 25%) the female is relieved of incubation duties, when the male takes on the task. Good thing too, as incubation can take up to 75 days to hatching.

Although NZ was the first to give human women voting rights equality of the sexes had been achieved in the bird world significantly earlier.

Kiwi are one of the most fascinating of the birds Birding Tours New Zealand seeks. They are difficult to find on the mainland (South Island) and more often heard than seen in and around Arthur’s Pass National and west coast locations. On Stewart Island the Brown kiwi, Apteryx australis is more visually accessible and often seen during overcast daylight hours. Birding Tours New Zealand links up with well established operators on Stewart Island enabling our clients an opportunity to see this amazing species.

All mainland species of kiwi are under threat from the loss of habitat and predation. Feral dogs have a major effect on Kiwi populations. There are captive breeding programmes underway at several conservation and wildlife centres.

DOC with the Bank of New Zealand sponsorship are committed through the Kiwi Recovery Programme to improving the awareness of the Kiwi conservation to all New Zealanders.

Note 1
New Zealand's Extinct birds. Gill and Paul Martinson

Note 2
Moas Lost Giants of New Zealand. Beverly McCulloch / Jeffrey Cox