There are just 147 of the native birds left but that number could increase by 40 by midway through the year. Kākāpō numbers expected to rise in 2019. There were once about 12 million kiwi, but in 1998, the population had plummeted to fewer than 100,000 birds. 2 Jan 2019. Share this. The closest relatives to kiwi today is the elephant bird from Madagascar. Now the fruit that is on the shelves is as good as ready to eat. How many kiwis are left? Most species like kiwi, takahē, have this same problem of trying to find suitable, predator-free habitat," he said. "The Kiwi accent is hideous." In 2019, it’s estimated there are 68,000 kiwis left, and the population is still steadily falling. They are also related to emus and cassowaries of Australia, and the extinct moa of New Zealand. The rapid decline in numbers according to the New Zealand Conservation Trust is pointing to just one fact: Kiwis are endangered. They have fallen to around 50 to 60 thousand now. Around 80 years ago, the Kiwi population comprised 5 million birds. After 4 … New Zealand's accent being voted the most attractive in the world in an international survey shocked many Kiwis, but it's also left a lot of foreigners fuming. A number of years ago, many hard kiwis were put on the market and that led to dissatisfied customers. 5:01 pm on 2 January 2019. There are about 68,000 kiwi left.