The kiwi

📖 In short

The kiwi is a strange, sweet bird that lives only in New Zealand. It's about the size of a chicken, with soft brown feathers like hair, no tail, and wings so tiny you can't see them, so it can't fly at all. It's New Zealand's much-loved symbol.

🤩 Did you know?

A kiwi egg can weigh up to 450 grams.
Female kiwis are a little bigger than males.
New Zealanders are sometimes called “Kiwis” after this bird.
The little spotted kiwi is between 35 and 45 centimeters long.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 A nose at the tip of its beak

The kiwi has a long thin beak with its nostrils at the very tip, the only bird in the world like that! It pokes its beak into the soil and smells worms and insects hiding underground.

🔍 Out at night

The kiwi sleeps by day in a burrow or among tree roots, and comes out at night to look for food. It relies on smell and hearing more than sight.

💡 A huge egg

The female kiwi lays an egg that's huge for her size, about a fifth of her body weight! The male usually sits on the egg until it hatches.

🎯 A bird that needs our protection

Kiwi numbers have dropped a lot because animals like cats, dogs and rodents eat their eggs and chicks. In New Zealand people work to protect them in special reserves.