What is a Kiwi?

What is a Kiwi?


Kiwi are the smallest members of a group of birds called ratites, a group of flightless birds that includes rheas of South America, ostriches of Africa, emu of Australia, and cassowary of Papua New Guinea and the extinct moa of New Zealand.

External Features

The external features are the features of a kiwi that are most easily recognised are:

• flightless with only tiny wings

• no tail

• feathers very soft and hang loose, like hair

• extremely long bill with nostrils at the end

• legs are powerful and muscular

• fleshy footpads and a silent walk

Senses

Like humans, all animals have the senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. Kiwi have well developed senses for living in their environment.

• strong sense of smell due to very well developed olfactory lobe

• excellent hearing with large and visible ear openings

• cat-like whiskers on its face and around the base of its bill

• small eyes, can see well at night and in daylight too

Internal Features

The internal features are the features that cannot be easily seen. These can only be seen by xrays, ultrasound, or dissection.

• cone-shape skeleton, topped with a strong neck and a small head

• no keeled sternum to hold the flight muscles

• bones filled with marrow. Being flightless, bones do not have to be extra light

• large nasal cavities, for a greater sense of smell

• blood temperature is much lower than most other birds; between 37°C and 38°C

Behaviour

Kiwi build burrows in the ground that they sleep in. Kiwi have large territories and defend these by calling at important points. Kiwi can be good fighters, they can use their strong, solid legs and large claws.

At night, kiwi can be heard sniffing around in the dark and rustling leaves and twigs on the ground.

When danger is near a kiwi will sniff the air to sense whether they are safe. They are omnivores and locate their food by smell alone.

Kiwi usually mate for life. The female is bigger and dominates the male. Having one partner for life and the male sitting on the eggs is rare among birds. Kiwi can live as long as 40 to 50 years.


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