10 facts about the kiwi

The kiwi is a national taonga (treasure) in Aotearoa New Zealand. This special bird is truly a cultural icon – no wonder New Zealanders are known as ‘kiwis’ around the world. 

Here are some things you might not know about the kiwi.

1.IT TAKES ALL TYPES

These are five species of kiwi: the brown kiwi, great spotted kiwi/ roroa, little spotted kiwi/ kiwi pukupuku, rowi, and the tokoeka. The rowi is the rarest of all the kiwi types.

2.SPOT THE KIWI

Of all the kiwi, the little spotted kiwi is the smallest - no surprise given its name. Despite its size, this little kiwi is very intrepid and leaves home early to fend for itself. However, it is also most vulnerable to predators.

3.RECORD-BREAKER

This may be surprising but the kiwi has the shortest beak of any bird in the world (due to a technicality). Even though it has a long beak, scientists measure a bird’s beak from the nostril to the tip and the kiwi has nostrils at the end of its beak.

4.ANOTHER CLAIM TO FAME

Speaking of beaks, the kiwi is the only bird in the world to have nostrils at the tip of its beak.

5.A BIT NOSY

The nostrils on their beak provide them with an excellent sense of smell that helps kiwi know where to dig for food in the ground. Kiwi are foragers and like to feast on things like bugs, worms, berries and seeds.

6.EGG-CELLENT

Kiwi lay giant eggs in relation to their body size. A kiwi egg can be up to 20% of the female’s body weight.
A ‘clutch’ is the number of eggs a bird lays at one time. In most kiwi varieties, the typical clutch size is one egg. 

7.WHERE DO KIWI SLEEP?

Kiwi make their nest in burrows. A burrow is a hole or tunnel in the ground. Sounds cosy doesn’t it?  

8.NIGHT 'OWLS'

You may have heard that ‘the early bird catches the worm’ but the kiwi is most active during the night and prefers to rest during daylight hours in their burrow.

9.THEY'RE NOT WINGIN' IT

Kiwi have tiny wings, but they can’t fly. Due to being flightless, they are particularly vulnerable to predators such as stoats, dogs and cats. 

10.HANDLE WITH CARE

Usually only accredited handlers can hold a kiwi. To do so correctly, handlers carefully support the kiwi by cradling it like a baby to keep it secure and safe. 

The Department of Conservation’s Kiwi Accredited Handler scheme ensures that operators are competent for a range of kiwi management skills. 

KIWI CONSERVATION SPOTLIGHT

WWF-New Zealand is pleased to be supporting the Taranaki Kiwi Trust’s Kaihāpai Kiwi project to protect and preserve the Western Brown Kiwi population throughout Taranaki through the Community Conservation Fund in 2025.