Kiwi are equally cherished by all cultures in New Zealand. They are a symbol for the uniqueness of New Zealand wildlife and the value of our natural heritage. The bird itself is a taonga (treasure) to Māori, who have strong cultural, spiritual and historic associations with kiwi.

The 2021 Kiwi coin features the brown kiwi Apteryx mantelli in an underground burrow with two eggs. The brown kiwi nests in short burrows, rocky crevices or the hollow base of trees. The kiwi on this coin is likely male, as they do all the incubation in this species. One or two large eggs can be laid any time of year, but the peak time is between June and November.

This endangered bird no longer exists in many of its natural habits in the North Island of New Zealand. It once occupied lowland areas as well as the native and exotic forests, scrub and even farmland areas where it can be found today. The main threats are predators such as dogs, ferrets and stoats. As a flightless bird, it has little defence, but predators also attack nests and eat the eggs or chicks.

Without ongoing support, kiwi are at risk of extinction. The Department of Conservation and organisations like Ngā Manu Nature Reserve, who supplied this photo this coin is based on, continue to do work to support kiwi in the wild.

Kiwi have become a flagship or umbrella species for conservation and are often used as a measure of the state of our natural environment and the outcome and value of community conservation projects – where kiwi thrive, other native wildlife also thrives.

Image courtesy of Nga Manu Images.