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