How did the Kiwi become extinct?

Answer 1

Not all species of kiwi are endangered, but they are all certainly under threat, and certain conditions may lead to the eventual extinction of all kiwi species.

The biggest threat to the kiwi comes from dogs, feral cats and other imported pets including the stoat, of all things. New Zealand has no native predators. Being a small, flightless bird, its defenses are extremely limited. Many kiwis are also killed every year by unregistered Pig-Hunting dogs (registratrion requires Kiwi Aversion training) and being killed while crossing roads/highways.

Loss of habitat due to deforestation and destruction of large tracts of native bush is also endangering the kiwi. Not only does this threaten its food sources, but deforestation means the kiwi has fewer places to hide from its many predators. Prior to Europeans coming to New Zealand, the kiwi enjoyed a healthy population.

Answer 2

The Kiwi Is Getting Extinct Mostly Because Of Introduced Animals Such As Sheep, Stoats, Goats, Cows, Pigs, Ferrets, Cats, Dogs, Rats, Mice And Other Animals. It Is Also Because Of Traps Made By Humans And Is Hunted Down By Humans When Kiwis Get Stabbed By Spears.

Answer 3

Kiwi are reducing in numbers because when humans came they killed kiwi and also brought other predators for which the kiwi did not have defenses and because of the destruction of their habitat.

Further information:

The biggest cause of he kiwi dying comes from dogs, feral cats and other imported pets including the stoat, of all things. New Zealand has no native predators. Being a small, flightless bird, the kiwi's defences are extremely limited. Many kiwis are also killed every year by unregistered Pig-Hunting dogs (registratrion requires Kiwi Aversion training) and being killed while crossing roads/highways.

Loss of habitat due to deforestation and destruction of large tracts of native bush is also endangering the kiwi. Not only does this threaten its food sources, but deforestation means the kiwi has fewer places to hide from its many predators. Prior to Europeans coming to New Zealand, the kiwi enjoyed a healthy population.

Answer 4

The biggest threat to the kiwi comes from dogs, feral cats and other imported pets including the stoat, of all things. New Zealand has no native predators. Being a small, flightless bird, its defenses are extremely limited. Many kiwis are also killed every year by unregistered Pig-Hunting dogs (registratrion requires Kiwi Aversion training) and being killed while crossing roads/highways.

Loss of habitat due to deforestation and destruction of large tracts of native bush is also endangering the kiwi. Not only does this threaten its food sources, but deforestation means the kiwi has fewer places to hide from its many predators. Prior to Europeans coming to New Zealand, the kiwi enjoyed a healthy population.

Answer 5

The kakapo, also called the owl parrot, is a nocturnal parrot of New Zealand. It is critically endangered, and already extinct on the mainland. Its main defence is to freeze in place when it senses danger.

Prior to European settlement, there were no native predators of the kakapo in New Zealand. They are particularly subject to predation by stoats and feral cats, both of which have been introduced. Feral cats have virtually decimated the poulation on Stewart Island. Also, when the Polynesians arrived, the kiore, or Polynesian rat, was introduced into the kakapo's habitat, whereupon they began to feast on the kakapo's eggs. The Polynesians themselves raided nests and ate eggs, and they used the kakapo as a source of food for the new human population as, being flightless, they were easy to catch. The feathers from the kakapos were also valued. With the arrival of new people from Europe, the situation became worse with more rats, imported cats and stoats, and more hunting by the new residents of the birds for food.

To add to the difficulties, the Kakapo have long breeding cycles, of approximately 3 years, so population growth is not sufficient to replace the birds lost to predation by other species. As well the berries they eat during breeding seasons apparently suffered a down turn too, and the quantity of berries became insufficient to sustain the breeding populations as needed. Introduced plant species took over the kakapo's habitat, pushing out the kakapo's native foods. Land clearing by Europeans exacerbated the situation.

The current recovery programme involves relocation of the kakapo to protected islands. Since the implementation of the Kakapo Recovery Plan which was established in 1989, numbers have gradually increased, but the bird is still critically endangered. They are currently critically endangered, with a population that fluctuates between 120 and 131, but this is a vast improvement on the 51 known birds in 1995.

Answer 6

Kiwi are not becoming extinct.

Not all species of kiwi are even endangered, but they are all certainly under threat. The biggest threat to the kiwi comes from dogs, feral cats and other imported pets including the stoat, of all things. New Zealand has no native predators. Being a small, flightless bird, its defences are extremely limited. Many kiwis are also killed every year by unregistered Pig-Hunting dogs (registratrion requires Kiwi Aversion training) and being killed while crossing roads/highways.

Loss of habitat due to deforestation and destruction of large tracts of native bush is also endangering the kiwi. Not only does this threaten its food sources, but deforestation means the kiwi has fewer places to hide from its many predators. Prior to Europeans coming to New Zealand, the kiwi enjoyed a healthy population.

Answer 7

Kiwi are not extinct.

There are five species of kiwis (some sources say seven), and their conservation status varies.

The Okarito Kiwi, or Rowi (Apteryx rowi) is critically endangered.

The brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) is endangered.

The little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii), great spotted kiwi (Apteryx haastii) and tokoeka(Apteryx australis) are classified as vulnerable.

Answer 8

Kiwi are not extinct. Two species are endangered, and the remainder are vulnerable.