Kiwi by Anna

Introduction

What bird has hair like feathers and a plump body? The kiwi! The fuzzy little birds that eat just about everything. They have really big eggs too. They never have to feed their young when they hatch either. These omnivores dig their unique beaks into the ground to catch their dinner. So many people want to help the endangered icon of New Zealand.

A hatchling

Some kiwis are albino.

Body

A kiwi bird is about the height of a chicken, male birds being about 20 inches tall and female birds being about 21 inches tall. Their height helps them to get into their small dens. They don't weigh much, some people believe this is from a time where kiwis could fly. Male kiwis weigh about 5 pounds. Females weigh about 7 pounds because they are bigger to hold the egg. Kiwis have short brown feathers that resemble hair. They have long curved beaks to help them dig for bugs in the dirt.Their long feathers help them camouflage into the forests they live in. They are plump pear shaped birds. Females and males look the exact same other than females are larger. They have short stubby legs that make them waddle when they move. A kiwi birds beak helps it find assorted bugs in the ground with the good ol’ sniffer. These birds are warm blooded vertebrates

A kiwi inside & out

Reproduction & Care of Young

Kiwis are considered fully-grown at the age of 3, but it can range depending on species. Babies are called chicks the same as all other birds. Chicks get all their nutrition they need from the yolk in their large eggs until they are big enough to catch bugs. The eggs hold lots of yolk which is why they are able to do this and why small chicks come out of big eggs. The mother carries the egg for around 80 days. 1-2 eggs are laid at a time because of the size of their huge eggs. Kiwis are birds and lay eggs. The huge eggs are really something to behold, as they weigh 20% of their moms body weight. Compared to kiwis human births aren't that bad.

Eggs

Hatchlings

Habitat

Kiws make nesting burrows, not nests. The entrance in such burrows looks like a snake hole so its best to be careful around the “ burrows “. The Waipoua Forest in New Zealand holds the most of North Island Brown Kiwis in the world. Many kiwis also call the Kapiti Islands home. Just these islands hold around 4,000 kiwis. New Zealand has a temperate climate with high rainfall. Kiwis are used to humid weather and could never live in a desert. They thrive in New Zealand by using their feathers to camouflage in dirt, use long beaks to catch food and burrow to escape from predators.

New Zealand ( Where kiwis live )

Facts

Some facts are: The kiwis egg size would be like a human giving birth to a 5 year old. Ow. Kiwis are the icon of NZ. quite the legacy for a fluffy pear. They are called honorary mammals because they don't act anything like the birds we find in our backyards. They don't even build nests so it makes sense. Their feathers are more like hair.

Food

Kiwis, being the only bird with nostrils on the tip of their beaks, can sniff out prey a lot better than other birds. Kiwis are omnivores. This means they eat both plants and meat. They primarily eat worms, Rolly Pollys, beetles, berries, and other small things. They eat about 2 pounds daily. They do not change what they eat as there is no reason to change.

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Kiwis dont eat kiwi, though it does make for funny photos like these.