Information Report - Kiwis

Kiwis

By Isaac Tooman

What eats grubs and seeds, sleeps during day and and cannot fly?  That might sound like you're little brother but it is also a description of a kiwi. Thats right, a Kiwi. A Kiwi is a bird native to New Zealand.  Kiwis are flightless although they have small wings and are nocturnal which means they sleep during the day. Kiwis are endangered.

Kiwis are found all over New Zealand. There are five different types of kiwis. There is the Brown kiwi, Little Spotted kiwi, Great Spotted kiwi, Rowi and Tokoeka. The Brown kiwi is found in the North Island and Little Barrier Island. The Little Spotted Kiwi lives on Hen Island, Kapiti Island, Red Mercury Island and Tiritiri Matangi Island and many more islands.The Great Spotted kiwi is the tallest Kiwi, about 45 centimetres tall. The Rowi kiwi lives in Okarito. The Tokoeka kiwi lives on Stewart Island.

Today, they are found in three discrete natural populations – northwest Nelson, the Paparoa Range, and near Arthur’s Pass.

What kiwis eat.

As kiwis have a high sense of smell they can smell food under the ground. Kiwis  eat a lot of things including seeds, grubs, worms, fruit, small Crayfish, Eels and Amphibians. They come out of their burrows after nightfall to forage for insects, grubs, earthworms, fallen fruit and native plants. Kiwis use their beak as a lever to lift up dirt to find food.

                        

Special things about kiwis

Did you know that kiwis are color blind? This information comes from some new research revealing how the endangered bird evolved its sense of smell and color 35 million years ago to help it with its nocturnal life sniffing around the undergrowth at night. Kiwis feathers are more like fur. The kiwi is the only bird in the world with  nostrils at the end of its beak. A kiwi has no tail feathers but does have whiskers like a cat.

In conclusion there are many types of kiwis.  The Brown kiwi,  Little spotted kiwi, Great spotted kiwi, Rowi and Tokoeka. Kiwis are color blind and also our native animal. Next time you see a kiwi remember that it is endangered bird and we should look after them.