Everyone, at least once in their life, heard of a kiwi bird, but besides the fact that this bird cannot fly, they did not really hear anything about it. Kiwi still has a lot of features worth knowing.
Kiwi is a whole family of 5 species. They all live in New Zealand. By the way, it is kiwi that are the unofficial emblem of this country.
Features of the body structure of a kiwi bird
This amazing bird has a weight ranging from 1.4 to 4 kilograms. Moreover, 1/3 of the mass falls on strong and hardy paws with sharp claws. The plumage is more like fur - such small gray-brown feathers, which, by the way, also have their own strong and pungent smell, similar to mushroom. It is not difficult for predators to find their prey by this smell.
Does kiwi have wings?
And also, if you are told that the kiwi does not have wings - do not believe it. They are, but very small, about 5 cm in length and they are practically not visible on the body of the bird. Although, the habit of sleeping and hiding a small head under the wing, they still remained. This sight, of course, looks comical, but such is the nature of the bird.
It is worth noting that the Kiwi's eyes are very small, and they do not see well. Therefore, all hope is for hearing and smell. In this, a long beak helps them, on which the nostrils are placed not at the base, like all birds, but at the very tip. And instead of the tongue, they have thin, long vibrissae (such sensitive bristles), they play the role of touch.
Food and lifestyle
Kiwis are active at night, they leave their shelters in the dark. Shelters: Kiwi, can on its territory (within 1 km) make about 50 such shelters. It can be cracks, a hollow of a tree or burrows dug by it. And here's another interesting fact: after a kiwi has dug a hole, he doesn’t settle in it right away, but waits a week or two for the entrance to be covered with grass and moss. He needs such expectant actions to disguise his refuge.
After daytime lethargy and timidity, in the twilight time confident and aggressive birds who are ready to defend their territory and their female come out of the shelters. They shout about it loudly in their territory.
The diet of these birds includes fruits and berries that have fallen from trees, as well as bugs, flies, larvae, earthworms, snails, slugs, small crustaceans (cyclops, daphnia), even small toads. The bird searches for its “goodies” with the help of its beak, which, like a “vacuum cleaner - locator,” sniffs prey among grass and fallen leaves. At the same time, powerful, albeit short paws, rake leaves and ground.
Kiwis create pairs for a long period, sometimes for the entire period of life. Love games for procreation begin in June and end in March. After three weeks of gestation, the female lays a very large egg (rarely two). Here, kiwi is an unprecedented record holder, in the ratio of body weight to egg weight, which weighs about 1/4 of the body weight of the kiwi itself. The egg mainly incubates the male for 75 to 85 days.
When the chick hatches from an egg, dad and mom, they leave him for independent living.For this, the chick has a reserve of subcutaneous fat for 2-3 days, full plumage and a very great thirst for life. For growing up, a little kiwi has 3-5 years. And kiwis live about 50-60 years. Sadly, up to 90% of these birds die in the first 6 to 7 months of life.
Kiwi in the modern world
With the arrival of Europeans on the islands of New Zealand, who brought their pets with them (and for kiwis they are enemies), their numbers sharply decreased until the end of the 20th century. To date, the kiwi population is resuming. To this end, the state of New Zealand has done titanic work to protect and restore all 5 types of kiwi. Since 1991, they are protected by law and are listed in the Red Book. Now their survival has increased by 50%.
