The bird which symbolises New Zealand around the world - the North Island brown kiwi - may be extinct in 15 years, a scientist said on Wednesday.

Landcare Research scientist John McLennan says in the past 15 years the gawky, flightless birds with their distinctive long, rapier beaks, have plummeted in number from about 70,000 to 30,000.

He said the North Island brown was threatened by predators, habitat loss and insufficient funding to ensure its survival, despite the efforts of the Department of Conservation and recovery programmes.

The future is slightly brighter for other kiwi species.

The populations of the great spotted kiwi and the South Island brown kiwi are thought to be stable, although their ranges have diminished.

The little spotted kiwi population is thought to number about 1,500 birds and is growing, thanks to island sanctuaries.

Stoats headed the list of predators, killing kiwi chicks within a month of their leaving the nest.

Mr McLennan, who has studied kiwi for 15 years, says: "It still may take them more than 15 summers to get to extinction but extinction probably occurs before every one is gone.

"Once you get down to a density of perhaps one per 10 sq km (four square miles) then it may be all over even though there are still a few individuals hanging around."

He says there was a need to control stoat numbers during the vital hatching season.
 

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