KIWI

KIWI

Kiwi or kiwis are flightless birds native to New Zealand. Kiwi are long-lived, and depending on the species live for between 25 and 50 years. Stoats, ferrets and weasels are the biggest threat to the survival of Kiwi, closely followed by cats and dogs and cars – only 5% of all Kiwis hatched in the wild survive to adulthood.

The feather patterns allow kiwi to protect themselves by disappearing into the dark and fading into the forest. Kiwis can swim but don't come out in the rain. Although worms form a major part of their diet, they will also eat woodlice, millipedes, centipedes, slugs, snails, spiders, insects, seeds, berries and plants.

The first kiwi was found about six million years ago. A kiwi is about the size of a chicken. There are five species. The largest is the northern brown kiwi, which grows up to 20 to 25 inches (50 to 65 centimeters) and weighs 3.2 to 11 lbs. (1.4 to 5 kilograms). The smallest is the little spotted kiwi. It grows up to 14 to 18 inches (35 to 45 cm) and weighs 4.3 lbs. (0.8 to 1.9 kg).

Kiwis are nocturnal, which means they sleep during the day and are active during the night. Throughout the night, they spend their time foraging for food. A kiwi has tiny wings but cannot fly. Kiwis have whiskers. It is the only bird in the world that has nostrils on the end of its beak. The kiwis scientific name is Apteryx. There is a legend about the kiwi flying and this is it. They sleep in burrows, hollow logs or under dense vegetation.

Kiwis are not your typical bird. They are sometimes called ‘honorary mammals’. Unlike most birds, kiwis have heavy bones filled with marrow. Their powerful legs make up a third of their body weight and allow them to run as fast as a human. The largest of all the kiwi species, the great spotted kiwi is found only around the southwest of the South Island. The rarest kiwi is found in the West Coast of the South Island.

Kiwi chicks hatch fully-feathered and independent, which is very unusual for a bird. Adult kiwis don’t need to feed their young as they are born with nutritious yolk sacs attached to their bellies. This yolk sustains the chicks for their first 10 days of life – after that they are ready to forage for their own food. Roughly 90% of kiwi chicks born in the wild die within six months, with around 70% killed by predators such as stoats and cats.

Kiwis have big ears so they can hear very well. They are also the only bird in the world with no tail. Kiwis are found in the forests of New Zealand. It is believed that the reason the kiwi egg is so big is because once upon a time the kiwi was actually as large as its ancestors. The kiwi was most likely the same size as an emu but as evolution has taken its course the kiwi became smaller but its egg did not.