Kiwi

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the bird. For the fruit, see kiwifruit.
a Kiwi
a Kiwi
Kiwi with egg in the Kauri Museum, New Zealand
Kiwi with egg in the Kauri Museum, New Zealand

Kiwis are a bird from New Zealand. They form the genus Apteryx of the family Apterygidae. There are several species and sub-species of kiwi.

The Kiwi has become a symbol for New Zealand, and New Zealanders are nicknamed "kiwis".

[edit] Appearance

They have brown feathers, which almost look like fur and a long beak. Kiwis cannot fly, and their wings have become so small that they cannot usually be seen. Kiwis cannot see very well, but they can hear and smell very well.

[edit] Life

Kiwis are active at night, and they mostly eat invertebrates, like worms and insects. Kiwis keep a territory, in which they live alone or with their mate. In their territory they build several small caves where they sleep, or lay their eggs.

Kiwis are monogamous, the male and female stay together until one of them dies. The male and female live in the same territory and raise their children together. Female Kiwis lay 1-3 eggs, which are very big. Kiwis become mature when they are 2 years old, and they can become over 20 years old. One kiwi kept in a zoo even became 35 years old.

[edit] Links

Look up Apteryx in Wikispecies, a directory of species


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