Kiwi bird species

The next of kin of the Kiwis is the moa. This view was justified only in that they are spread over two bird families in New Zealand. However, it is likely that they have separated from each other a long time ago, when New Zealand was still a part of Gondwana land, and that it is more of a coincidence.

New DNA tests lead to opposite results. A relationship of the moa with the Kiwis is therefore not given. Both Haddrath & Baker in 2001 and in 1997 Cooper came to the conclusion that the Kiwis are the sister taxon of a common group of cassowaries and emus, and that these three taxa together are the sister group of ostriches in turn.

Internal systematics

Five species in a genus are considered one of the Kiwis:
Little Spotted Kiwi or (Apteryx owenii)
Haastkiwi or Great Spotted (Apteryx haastii)
Northern brown kiwi (Apteryx Mantelli)
Okarito brown kiwi-Rowi or (Apteryx rowii)
Tokoeka or Southern Brown Kiwi (Apteryx australis)

The one shown above classification reflects the view of Burbidge 2003, that this subspecies should be given the status of independent species.

Fossil History

Kiwi fossils are known only from the Pleistocene and Holocene. However, there are suspicions that they are a very ancient group of animals, supported by footprints from the Miocene. Sometimes a fossil species from the Pliocene of Australia (Metapteryx bifrons) is, in the opinion of most zoologists, actually a juvenile of the relationship of the Emus.