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Kiwis (birds)
Solitary and nocturnal birds, Kiwis are three species of small, forest-dwelling, flightless birds found in New Zealand. They are New Zealand's national symbol and are protected by law from being hunted. After a period of decline, these birds are now relatively abundant in some areas. Learn more about Kiwis in this category.
496 Questions
What are the stages of a kiwi's life cycle?
The main stages of a kiwi's life cycle are:
- the adult bird establishes its territory
- it finds a mate
- it digs a burrow or uses a pre-existing one
- the bird mates
- the female lays an egg and usually another one 24 days later
- the male incubates the egg
- the egg hatches
- within three days, the chick stands on its own
- any chick that survives the first six months (and 95% do not) then goes out to establish its own territory
Kiwis dig a burrow for the egg, or find a pre-existing burrow, several months before it is laid. Three weeks after mating, the female lays an egg which is about 6 times the size of an egg from another bird of similar size. Male kiwis incubate the egg, and another egg may already be developing in the female, to be laid in another three weeks' time.
Hatching may take up to three days. The chick hatches with its eyes fully open. Initially, it feeds on a yolk sac which also prevents the baby chick from moving about the nest, but this is mostly absorbed after a couple of days. The chick then begins to feed on tiny pebbles and twigs which are stored in its gizzard to help with food digestion once it starts eating real food. Depending on the species, chicks are old enough to leave the parents' territory when they are 4-6 weeks old. (Southern Tokoeka may stay with the parent for up to 5 years.) Unlike their nocturnal parents, the chicks feed both day and night, making them more susceptible to predators. It is believed that 95% of young chicks do not survive past their first six months.
The kiwi is a small, flightless bird endemic to New Zealand, but there are five recognised species, and they do not all look the same.
Being flightless, they all have rudimentary wings which are so small as to be completely invisible, and they have no external tail. Its long, thin bill averages from 9-20 cm in length, again depending on the species. The kiwi has sharp-clawed legs which are surprisingly widely spaced apart, meaning that it walks with an unusual, rolling gait. There are differences in the colour of their feathers:
- The North Island Brown Kiwi has a thick covering of shaggy, hairy, brown-grey feathers.
- The Great Spotted Kiwi, also known as the Great Grey Kiwi, varies from grey to light brown in colour, but its feathers are covered with black spots. It is the largest of the kiwis.
- Other varieties include the Lesser Spotted Kiwi, Rowi, and Tokoeka, which have the same basic, round kiwi body with long, slender bill.
What is the temperature of the kiwi?
The kiwi has an average body temperature of 38 degrees C, which is 2 degrees lower than other birds and two degrees higher than humans.
The correct name is:
How The Kiwi Lost Its Wings
The story goes thus:
One day, Tanemahuta was walking through the forest. He looked up at his children reaching for the sky and he noticed that they were starting to sicken, as bugs were eating them.
He talked to his brother, Tanehokahoka, who called all of his children, the birds of the air together.
Tanemahuta spoke to them.
"Something is eating my children, the trees. I need one of you to come down from the forest roof and live on the floor, so that my children can be saved, and your home can be saved. Who will come?"
All was quiet, and not a bird spoke.
Tanehokahoka turned to Tui.
"E Tui, will you come down from the forest roof?"
Tui looked up at the trees and saw the sun filtering through the leaves. Tui looked down at the forest floor and saw the cold, dark earth and shuddered.
"Kao, Tanehokahoka, for it is too dark and I am afraid of the dark."
Tanehokahoka turned to Pukeko.
"Pukeko, will you come down from the forest roof?"
Pukeko looked down at the forest floor and saw the cold, damp earth and shuddered.
"Kao, Tanehokahoka, for it is too damp and I do not want to get my feet wet."
All was quiet, and not a bird spoke.
Tanehokahoka turned to Pipiwharauroa.
"Pipiwharauroa, will you come down from the forest roof?"
Pipiwharauroa looked up at the trees and saw the sun filtering through the leaves. Pipiwharauroa looked around and saw his family.
"Kao, Tanehokahoka, for I am busy at the moment building my nest."
All was quiet, and not a bird spoke. And great was the sadness in the heart of Tanehokahoka, for he knew, that if one of his children did not come down from the forest roof, not only would his brother loose his children, but the birds would have no home.
Tanehokahoka turned to Kiwi.
"E kiwi, will you come down from the forest roof?"
Kiwi looked up at the trees and saw the sun filtering through the leaves. Kiwi looked around and saw his family. Kiwi looked at the cold damp earth. Looking around once more, he turned to Tanehokahoka and said,
"I will."
Great was the joy in the hearts of Tanehokahoka and Tanemahuta, for this little bird was giving them hope. But Tanemahuta felt that he should warn kiwi of what would happen.
"E kiwi, do you realise that if you do this, you will have to grow thick, strong legs so that you can rip apart the logs on the ground and you will loose your beautiful coloured feathers and wings so that you will never be able to return to the forest roof. You will never see the light on day again."
All was quiet, and not a bird spoke.
"E kiwi, will you come down from the forest roof?"
Kiwi took one last look at the sun filtering through the trees and said a silent goodbye. Kiwi took one last look at the other birds, their wings and their coloured feathers and said a silent goodbye. Looking around once more, he turned to Tanehokahoka and said,
"I will."
Then Tanehokahoka turned to the other birds and said,
"E Tui, because you were too scared to come down from the forest roof, from now on you will wear the two white feathers at your throat as the mark of a coward.
Pukeko, because you did not want to get your feet wet, you will live forever in the swamp.
Pipiwharauroa, because you were too busy building your nest, from now on you will never build another nest again, but lay your eggs in other birds nests.
But you kiwi, because of your great sacrifice, you will become the most well known and most loved bird of them all."
The small, flightless bird known as the kiwi does not come from Africa. It is endemic to New Zealand.
Kiwi is a Maori word, and in the Maori language, there is no 's'. Therefore, the plural is actually kiwi, a word for two or more birds.
The plural form of the noun 'kiwi', the fruit, is kiwis.
How did the Kiwi lose his wings?
Tane Mahuta, God of the forests needed someone to help protect the trees from the bugs that were eating them so he asked the birds if any would agree to come down from the air and live on the ground. It was the kiwi who said it would even though it meant losing its wings, plumage and spending its life in the dark.
What is the purpose of the kiwi?
Kiwis do extraordinary in Vitamin C and dietary fiber and describe wellness benefits. This tart fruit can boost heart health, digestive health, and immunity. The kiwi is a strong choice of fruit and is rich in vitamins and antioxidants
What does DNA look like from a kiwi?
After doing this in a lab it looks like see through kiwi (with no seeds).
What do you call more than one kiwi bird?
'Kiwi' is the plural and the singular (there is no 's' in Maori). 'Te kiwi' means 'the kiwi' (singular), 'Nga Kiwi' means 'the kiwi' (plural) and 'he kiwi' means 'a kiwi' or 'some kiwi'.
Why does the mother kiwi lay only one egg at a time?
A female kiwi can only lay one egg at a time because the eggs are so huge. The kiwi's egg is about six times the size of that of another bird of the same size. It is about 120mm long and 80mm in diameter. This is almost as big as those of the emu (150mm long and about the same diameter) and are one of the largest in proportion to body size of any bird.
The kiwi can also only lay only one egg at a time, as the egg is so huge that it takes up about 15-20% of the kiwi's total body weight. In the final days before the egg is laid, the female is unable to eat any food, as the egg is taking up so much room.
When the female kiwi lays her egg, there is usually already another developing inside her, but it takes 22-24 days until it is also ready to be laid.
When are kiwi more vulnerable to predators?
Kiwi are most vulnerable to predators when they are young. It is believed that predators such as dogs, cats, stoats and ferrets account for the very low survival rate of young chicks. An estimated 95% of kiwi chicks do not survive past their first six months. They are old enough to leave their parents' care, but not old enough to have developed any defensive behaviour.
Why does New Zealand need to protect the kiwis?
The kiwi is unique to New Zealand. A small, flightless bird, it is not found anywhere else. If wildlife authorities in New Zealand fail to protect this defenceless bird, there is a very real chance it will become extinct within the next couple of decades.
KiwiSaver is a government-subsidised saving for retirement. It is a voluntary, work-based savings initiative with a range of membership benefits.
Yes. A kiwi is a bird in every sense. Characteristics it shares with other birds include the fact that it lays eggs; is a warm-blooded vertebrate; and breathes through lungs. It also has feathers, although its shaggy plumage is often not recognised as feathers.
It is a member of the bird family known as ratites. Ratites are found almost exclusively within the Southern Hemisphere. Ratites have wings but the bones in their chests do not have the capacity for flight muscles, which is what a bird needs to fly.
When were kiwi bird discovered?
Kiwi have been known by the Maori for many hundreds of years. The kiwi was only introduced to Europeans in 1812 when the first kiwi skin was taken back to England.
Does a kiwi bird live in a desert?
No. Kiwi do not live in the desert. Their natural habitat is forests, as this is where their food source is. Their natural habitat is native forests but they are now found in kauri and coniferous forest where the undergrowth is dominated by tree ferns. However, due to habitat clearing, kiwi are now forced to survive in semi-wooded forest, scrubland and agricultural areas.
What is the lifespan of the Little Spotted kiwi?
The average life span of the Little Spotted Kiwi is an estimated 45 years. Some specimens have been recorded as living as long as 80 years.
Where do you find a Haast Kiwi?
The Haast Tokoeka kiwi is found in high sub-alpine tussock grasslands of the South Island.
