For the Love of Kiwi!

The Kiwi bird is the national bird of New Zealand and has become a strong symbol of New Zealand culture.  It has been featured on regimental and military badges and is still featured in the coat of arms of many New Zealand cities and organizations. There are five recognized species of Kiwi bird and all are considered endangered due to the historically adverse effects of deforestation and current predation by invasive mammalian predators.


Fun Facts:

X-Ray showing an egg inside a female Kiwi birds body

• Kiwi's lay extremely large eggs compared to their body size - up to 25% of their body weight!  Compare this to the ostrich who's eggs are equal to approximately 2% of their body size. 
• The Kiwi bird is one of those few luckless birds incapable of flying. 
• Kiwi's mate for life and couples have been known to stay together for more than thirty years.
• The Kiwi bird is the only known bird to have external nostrils at the end of its beak. 
• Kiwi's are notoriously shy and nocturnal. 

Habitat:
Kiwi's live in broad-leaf forests and beech forests, but are being forced to adapt to other habitats such as grasslands and mountainous regions. They prefer to live in large, dark forested areas because it camouflages these nocturnal birds as they sleep the day away. 

Physical Characteristics and Diet:
Kiwi birds are small grey-ish brown birds similar in size to an ordinary chicken. Kiwi's have very developed olfactory senses and have nostrils at the ends of their long beaks. This allows them to locate insects and worms underground by smell instead of needing to visually locate their prey. They have a a fairly diverse diet containing  fruit, seeds, small amphibians, and even crayfish.


Kiwi's bodies are unique from other birds in that their bones contain marrow. Most birds have hollow bones which minimize their weight and allow for an easier flight, but the Kiwi do not fly and can maintain a higher body density. They also have no tail!

Reproduction and Lifespan:
Male and female Kiwi's bond together and once mated they will spend their entire lives as a monogamous couple. Their mating season spans from June to March during which the pair calls out to each other and meets at a nesting burrow. It takes thirty days for the female to grow a fully developed egg during which she must increase her food intake drastically. By the time the week of the egg laying comes though, there is barely and room in the female Kiwi's body cavity for her stomach so she must fast until after she delivers the enormous egg. But, the male makes up for her hard work by incubating the young for an astonishing 80 days afterwards while the mom hunts.