Animal: Kiwi

Scientific Name: Numerous, depending on the type and species

Animal Type: Bird

Habitats: Island, Prairie and Steppe, Scrubland, Temperate Forest

The Kiwi:

A kiwi is any of the species of small flightless birds endemic to New Zealand of the genus Apteryx. At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites. Most kiwi species are endangered. The kiwi is also a national symbol of New Zealand.

Physical Characteristics:

Kiwis are creatures with a highly developed sense of smell, most unusual in a bird, and are the only birds with nostrils at the end of their long bill. Although the kiwi is about the size of a domestic chicken, it is able to lay eggs that are about six times the size of a chicken's egg, usually about one quarter the weight of the female. Once bonded as a monogamous couple, a male and female kiwi tend to live their whole lives together as a monogamous couple.

Food Chain:

Kiwi eat small invertebrates, seeds, grubs, and many varieties of worms. They also may eat fruit, small crayfish, eels and amphibians. Because their nostrils are located at the end of their long beaks, Kiwi can locate insects and worms underground without actually seeing or feeling them.

Habitat features:

Kiwi are shy and usually nocturnal. According to British scientists, the kiwi may be an ancient import from Australia.