Little Spotted Kiwi - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

The Little Spotted Kiwi is a ratite and belongs to the Apterygiormes Order, and the Apterygidae Family. Their binomial name Apteryx owenii breaks down to without wings and owenii which is named after Sir Richard Owen. Today, only the nominate subspecies A. o. owenii exists. The little-known and somewhat mysterious North Island Little Spotted Kiwi A. o. iredalei from the North Island went extinct in the late 19th century.

The Little Spotted Kiwi was first described as Apteryx owenii by John Gould, in 1847, based on a specimen from New Zealand.