Kiwi

New Zealand's iconic bird

This nocturnal animal can’t actually see very well at night but relies on its excellent hearing and strong sense of smell to find and eat a wide range of insects, grubs, fallen fruit and native plants.

• It has tiny wings, but cannot fly

• It has feathers that are more like fur

• It is the only bird in the world with nostrils at the end of its beak

• Its sense of smell is second to none

• It has no tail feathers, but does have whiskers, like a cat

• It has marrow in its bones, just like a human

• Very unusually, females have two ovaries, most birds have only one

Did You Know?

The Kiwi fascinates scientists because although it is a bird it has features more characteristic of a mammal.