Gregory’s Kiwi Bird Report

Gregory doing research on Kiwi Birds at the Breamark bach in St. Arnaud

Kiwis at the South Canterbury Museum in Timaru

New Zealanders are often called Kiwis after the native bird the kiwi. There are three different kinds of kiwi birds. There are the brown spotted kiwi, the little-spotted kiwi and the great-spotted kiwi. Kiwis are found only in New Zealand and nowhere else in the world.

The kiwi has strong feet and they take up a third of his total weight. The kiwi is a small stocky and flightless bird. The kiwi has very poor eyesight and they are also nocturnal. Kiwis are cone-shaped and they have strong necks but small heads. Kiwis breed all year long but they lay more eggs from July to February.

The kiwi lives on the forest floor, in scrublands and in native grasslands. They don’t know how long a kiwi can live but it probably has a very long lifespan. Some kiwis have lived in captivity for up to 20 years.

The kiwi burrows for and sucks up worms and insects using his long bill. Kiwi birds are omnivorous. They eat grass-like plants, seeds and berries, but they are also meat-eaters! I hope I get to see a kiwi while I’m in New Zealand!