Kiwi
Apteryx mantelli
Scientific name
The Kiwi is a very odd
bird. It has feathers more
like fur, because it doesn't use
them to fly but to keep warm on
cold New Zealand nights, it also
has nostrils at the end of its
beak so it can smell the
worms deep under the soil
Kiwi are New Zealand's national bird
but not very many people know that there are five species of Kiwi. Three of these are brown kiwi, and the North Island Brown Kiwi (pictured left) is the second most common species.
The Kiwi's biggest predator is the stoat and ferret. These animals can both easily tackle a baby kiwi, which are left alone as soon as they hatch from the egg. In some kiwi species, only
the dads look
after the egg,
but the mum
also helps out
in other species.