Kiwi Facts

About the kiwi

Five species make up the genus Apteryx. Four are listed as vulnerable and one as near threatened. Their tiny leftover wings hide completely under bristly, hairlike feathers that split in two. Short, sturdy legs carry them, and their nostrils sit at the tip of a long beak, so they can smell prey before seeing it. DNA shows they are closer to the extinct elephant birds of Madagascar than to the moa.

Old deforestation hurt every species, but the forests that remain are well protected in large reserves and national parks. Today the biggest danger comes from invasive mammal predators. The bird is so tied to New Zealand that Kiwi is the everyday international nickname for New Zealanders, and it ranks among the best-known birds abroad.

Did you know?

• A kiwi egg can weigh up to 20% of the female's body weight.
• Other ratites include ostriches, emus, rheas and cassowaries.
• Kiwi belong to their own bird order, called Apterygiformes.