Learn about the elusive kiwi bird.
What kiwis are.
Kiwi birds aren’t like other birds. for example, their wings are very tiny and hidden under their feathers. Making it impossible to fly.
There are five different species of kiwi including:
North Island Brown Kiwi
Southern Brown Kiwi
Okarito Kiwi
Little Spotted Kiwi
Great Spotted Kiwi
Each species has their own unique characteristics. My favorite is…ALL OF THEM!
Kiwis have razor sharp claws that are perfect for fighting off predators and each other. They also use their claws for digging out burrows. Their legs are also extremely powerful! They make up a third of their body weight so you DEFINITELY don’t want to be scratched by a kiwi! They also use their legs for swimming, running, kicking, and fighting as well. By the way, a kiwi bird can outrun a human.
Did you know that some kiwis are born blind? Yep, some kiwi birds can in fact be blind. Though these poor kiwis lack sight, they’re still perfectly healthy and living fine using their other senses.
Unlike most birds, kiwis have nostrils on the tips of their beaks where as other birds have their nostrils on the base. Speaking of kiwi’s beaks, are very long and narrow. Perfect for hunting their prey on or under the ground.
Female kiwis are pretty tough. Kiwi bird eggs make up a third of the females body weight! For their weight proportion, Kiwis have the largest and heaviest eggs in the world!
Where kiwis live.
Kiwis live in steep, damp forested areas of New Zealand so that they can hide from predators. They blend in really well with their natural surroundings. Their hair-like feathers help them camouflage.
Kiwi birds take time to build burrows that will act as their home. They sometimes make new burrows for different reasons such as mating and just moving in general because of danger. Each species of kiwi builds burrows in their own way. For example, the Great Spotted Kiwi digs out multiple tunnels creating a HUGE underground labyrinth. Where as the Little Spotted Kiwi and Brown Kiwis build simple, single entrance burrows.
What kiwis do.
Behavior of kiwis is also important to know because you’ll have no idea what they do without this information.
Let’s start with their diet. Basically, they are omnivores that like to eat a multitude of different things. This includes: worms, spiders, snails, berries, tiny animals, and much more.
Next, their poop. it looks just like normal bird poop except there are white, uric acid crystals in it that mean it’s from a kiwi. I know, DISGUSTING! Let’s move on.
Every animal has to mate at some point in their life. But each animal has their own unique way of doing it. for example, kiwi birds mate like this: First, the male gets up at night, (during mating season) and starts calling for a female. Then, once a female kiwi decides to come over, they build a new burrow together (or make additions to the old one). Then they mate for awhile in their own unique way. Next, an egg is layed and then incubated by the father for 85 days. Finally, the chick is born! now there’s a whole kiwi family! Just for your information, the female is always taller than the male and she goes out hunting while the father cares for the child.
Kiwis are extremely territorial. they will attack any threat or other kiwi that comes in. The length of their territory can get up to 100 acres! That’s HUGE!!
Lastly for this section, is the life span of a kiwi. Unlike most animals, kiwi birds can literally live 25-50 years long! That’s pretty insane if you ask me.
Fun facts.
Finally we have just a couple fun facts I thought I might add. Here they are:
Kiwi birds smell like ammonia or mushrooms.
Kiwi birds are about the size of a chicken (50cm)
The scientific name for kiwi bird is Apteryx, they belong to the family Apterygidae, their class is Aves, and their order is Apterygiformes.
Kiwis have tiny claws on their wings. That claw has no known use.
Hope you enjoyed these facts about kiwis! If you’re ready to help save them then don’t be shy to donate and/or volunteer!
Talkin’ bout kiwis.
Did you know? The word kiwi was not originally a word in English. It actually comes from the Māori language, and it was borrowed into English. There are several words in Māori that refer to the different species of kiwi:
kiwi - northern brown kiwi, North Island brown kiwi; also used for tokoeka
ngutu roa - a general term also meaning kiwi
kiwi pukupuku - little spotted kiwi
rowi - Okarito brown kiwi
roa - great spotted kiwi
roaroa - great spotted kiwi
tokoeka - South Island brown kiwi
tokoweka - South Island brown kiwi
You can listen to these words being pronounced at The Māori Dictionary website (just enter “kiwi'“ in the search box). There are also some audio files of kiwi calls!