Meet the kiwi, the New Zealand’s national bird!

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The kiwi is a strange little bird found only in the forests of New Zealand. It’s much loved by the people of New Zealand, even though they don’t see it very often. It cannot fly, but unlike other flightless birds (the emu or the ostrich) it’s very small – about as big as a chicken. Kiwis are fast runners and fierce fighters. They eat berries, seeds, worms, spiders, insects and small frogs; their strong sense of smell helps them to find food. Kiwis also have a good sense of hearing, though they don’t see very well in daylight.

Kiwis usually live in pairs. Females are larger than males. These females lay very big eggs, in fact, the biggest eggs, in relation to their body size.

New Zealanders themselves are sometimes called Kiwis. A fruit and even an airline are named after the kiwi too. Pictures of the bird can be seen on New Zealand’s stamps and coins.