AVITOPIA - Kiwis

All species of the family of Kiwis are endemic to New Zealand. They are 50 cm to 85 cm tall. They have a long, flexible beak that carries the nostrils at the tip. The tail is missing and the wings are vestigial. The legs are short and strong, the feet have four toes. The shaggy plumage is hair-like. The habitat of the Kiwis is moist forest. They are nocturnal and are unable to fly. Their diet consists of invertebrates and berries, which they track down mainly with the senses of touch, smell and hearing. The nest is created in a ground cavity. The females lay 1 or 2 eggs, relative to the body weight of the adult birds, they are the heaviest in the entire bird world. The eggs are incubated by the male for 75 to 80 days. The young are still being fed for the first 6 days, after which they independently search for food.