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It is the national bird of New Zealand, the name that people of that country proudly use to describe themselves.
Yet the small flightless bird behind the name is in danger of extinction and it is becoming increasingly rare to catch sight of one in the wild. The kiwi is certainly an elusive subject to corner. Preferring to come out at night, it spends the day hiding in its burrow. The kiwi (scientific name apteryx) is restricted to New Zealand, where they are protected by law. The bird cannot fly and lives in burrows in the bushland forest.
The kiwi is a small bird, about the size of a chicken. It has short, stocky legs but no tail. It’s wings hang at it’s side but are unable to be utilised. It has a wiry coat of grey/brown appearance, whiskers like a cat and a long, slightly curved beak. It is the only bird that has nostrils in it’s beak, located near the tip.
The diet of the kiwi consists mainly of insects and earthworms. It utilises the length of it’s beak in extracting these from the ground. The kiwi is extremely fleet of foot, easily being able to outrun a human. It has a three toed foot which it is adept at using as a weapon, slashing at it’s enemy with the sharp claws.
Prior to the arrival of the Maori people in New Zealand – which occurred about a thousand years ago – the kiwi was in plentiful supply, having no natural predators. The Maori, however, found that the bird’s feathers made fine coverings for their cloaks. It was the Maori people who gave the bird it’s name, taking it from the shrill cry that the bird makes that sounds like ‘kee-wee.’ With the coming of the white man in the 19th Century, the kiwi became a sought after addition to zoos, museums and private collections around the world. The introduction of non-native predators such as feral cats and opossums has also had a detrimental affect on the kiwi population, along with bush clearing, gin traps and road-kill from motor vehicles.
The six types of kiwi are the North Island brown kiwi, the little spotted kiwi, the great spotted kiwi, the Okarito brown, the Haast Tokoeka and the Southern Tokoeka. The bird is virtually blind, being able only to see about six feet ahead. The female lays an extremely large egg. In fact a five pound bird will lay an egg that weighs about a pound, making it the largest proportionally in the entire bird kingdom. The kiwi has been known to live to the ripe old age of 40.
In 1991 the new Zealand department of Conservation launched the Kiwi Recovery Programme to learn more about the kiwi and help save the bird from extinction. Despite this the kiwi is still disappearing at a rate of 5.8 % per year. The Programme has, however had success in the controlled breeding of the bird and its work should ensure that the kiwi stays around for some time yet.
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