Kiwi:

Fun fact, kiwi is both singular and plural. Whether you were talking about one individual bird, or several birds, it is still just kiwi.

 

The kiwi is the national bird of New Zealand, and with five species they are quite the interesting little bird. Although flightless, kiwi have no problem getting around. Their legs make up a third of their body weight, and are protected with skin so tough it's like shoe leather.

 

Female kiwi lay eggs that are approximately 20% of their body weight, which is substantial. Kiwi chicks hatch, fully feathered and independent. Parents do not feed their young, instead, the chicks have a nutritious yolk sac attached to their bellies when they are born. This feeds them for the first 10 days of their life, and from then on they can forage for their own food. Highly responsible for 10 days old! With good living, a kiwi lifespan ranges from 25 to 50 years old.

 

Kiwi are intelligent and their brains are relatively large for their size, comparable to those of "more intelligent" flighted birds.They learn quickly and remember bad experiences for at least 5 years. While kiwi may be considered docile and timid-- this is not the case. They can be ill-tempered, and have razor-sharp claws in which to defend themselves. Do not stick your hand or other appendage down a burrow you suspect belongs to a kiwi, you will end up desperately looking for a bandage.

 

The kiwi are native to New Zealand, and encompass a variety of habitats, from damp, temperate rainforests, partially timbered agricultural areas, to sandy dunes and mangroves. They are a burrowing creature, and do not live in typical nests. They build multiple burrows with one entrance, a tunnel and a chamber to  fit two birds. Because they are ground feeders, they prefer ground that is not compacted by livestock. Kiwi are omnivorous with a variety of ground insects on their menu, including woodlice, spiders, millipedes, centipedes, slugs, snails, and worms. Seeds, berries and plant material round out their diet. They feed at night and can plunge their beaks 12 cm deep to retrieve dinner. With an exceptional sense of smell second only to the condor, kiwi have nostrils at the end of their beaks, allowing them to distinguish a few parts per million of a scent. That is quite an acute sense of smell. 

 

To add to their keen nocturnal senses they also have excellent hearing with visible ears, and touch pads on the end of their nose to sense vibrations from prey below the surface. The cat-like whiskers around their face and the base of their bill aid in sensing prey as well.  

 

Kiwi are territorial and surprisingly cover a great deal of territory in one night equaling sixty football fields! They patrol and mark their area throughout the night, ready to defend at the slightest intrusion. Kiwi have very strong legs, and can run up to 12 mph.

 

Frequently considered an honorary mammal due to many traits that mammals also exhibit, like nasal cavities separating eye sockets, rather than a plate like most birds. Unlike most birds, kiwi do not have hollow bones, in fact their strong legs are marrow filled. Kiwi females have two ovaries like mammals, and can produce more than one egg in a clutch as her ovaries alternate ovulation. The chicks emerge fully feathered and are able to feed themselves, which is highly unusual for birds. The kiwi feathers are shaggy, and more hair-like, similar to that of mammals.