In the deep, emerald shadows of the South Island’s rugged ranges, a rare encounter has been caught on camera: the Haast tokoeka. With a population hovering at a precarious 400 individuals, this is not just a bird; it is New Zealand’s rarest kiwi taxon and a symbol of a desperate fight against extinction.

What Makes the Haast Tokoeka Unique?

The Haast tokoeka (Apteryx australis “Haast”) is one of four distinct types of tokoeka. While all kiwi are iconic, the Haast variety is biologically and behaviorally distinct:

The Shyest of the Bunch: Unlike some of their cousins, they are notoriously wary and inhabit steep, difficult terrain, making sightings nearly impossible.
A “Family” Dynamic: They are known to live in stable family groups where the offspring often stay with their parents for years to help raise the next generation.
The Survival Gap: Without human intervention (predator control), only about 5% of kiwi chicks survive to adulthood in the wild.

A very rare sighting of a Haast tokoeka/kiwi . It is New Zealand's rarest taxa, with an estimated population of just 400 pic.twitter.com/nAoY47f4Ry
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) February 25, 2026

A Species on the Brink

The population is confined to a specific area of the South Island, primarily within the Haast Kiwi Sanctuary. Their biggest threats aren’t the elements, but introduced predators, specifically stoats, which can easily kill a defenseless chick.

The DOC (Department of Conservation) and local iwi work tirelessly using “Operation Nest Egg,” where eggs are removed from the wild, hatched in safety, and the juveniles are returned once they are large enough to defend themselves against stoats.

Why This Sighting Matters

Every piece of footage of a Haast tokoeka helps researchers understand their behavior and brings global attention to their conservation. For a bird that prefers the cover of darkness and the most remote corners of the earth, being seen is the first step toward being saved.