North Island little spotted kiwi

The North Island little spotted kiwi or North Island little grey kiwi (Apteryx owenii iredalei) is an extinct subspecies of the little spotted kiwi that was native to the North Island, New Zealand.^[1] It was described by Gregory Mathews in 1935. Most subsequent authors do not recognise it or any other subspecies of Apteryx owenii.^[2]

North Island little spotted kiwi
Conservation status
Extinct
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Infraclass:	Palaeognathae
Order:	Apterygiformes
Family:	Apterygidae
Genus:	Apteryx
Species:	A. owenii
Subspecies:	A. o. iredalei
Trinomial name
Apteryx owenii iredalei Mathews, 1935

The North Island little spotted kiwi went extinct sometime in the late 19th century^[1] for unknown reasons; most likely from introduced invasive species such as stoats, feral cats, and other related species, or from human activity in the region. Two specimens were collected in the 1880s, being the only known remnants left.^[3]

References

1. "Little Spotted kiwi". Save the Kiwi. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
2. Herbert, John; Daugherty, Charles H. (2002). "Genetic variation, systematics and management of kiwi (Apteryx spp.)" (PDF). In Overmars, Fred (ed.). Some Early 1990s Studies in Kiwi. New Zealand Department of Conservation. p. 31. ISBN 0-478-22194-0. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
3. Jolly, J.N.; Colbourne, R.M. (June 1991). "Translocations of the little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii) between offshore islands of New Zealand". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 21 (2): 143–149. Bibcode:1991JRSNZ..21..143J. doi:10.1080/03036758.1991.10431402. ISSN 0303-6758.