So, have you ever seen a Kiwi? You’re not thinking about eating it right? The Kiwi is not a fruit! Often found in New Zealand, the Kiwi is actually a tiny, and flightless bird. I guess it does kind of look like a fruit though – a large, hairy pear. But it’s not as enjoyable as sweet as a regular fruit. Kiwis, the birds, are actually very violent and temperamental creatures that are often compared to dogs due to its extremely keen sense of smell. Actually, the Kiwi has the strongest sense of smell out of any bird out there. In order to check for danger, the Kiwi would sometimes just lift its beak in the air and by doing so it can survey its surroundings. Well, what do you think would happen IF there actually was danger nearby? Kiwis aren’t as weak as they look. Although they have no tail, they do have extremely strong and muscular legs that make up about 1/3 of their total body weight. When defending, it would throw powerful kicks at the enemy for however long is necessary. Sometimes, Kiwis are known to fight until death. But of course, sometimes it still does run. Kiwis, despite their fat and awkward appearance, can actually outrun humans in case of danger.
If you were studying Kiwis, you would definitely notice that its mating and breeding behaviors are quite strange. First off, according the San Diego Zoo, the female Kiwis are about 20% heavier than the males so it wouldn’t be too nice to live as a male if you’re a Kiwi. The male Kiwis are often searching for mates, and when they find a potential one they will pretty much follow that female Kiwi forever, while grunting. If the female Kiwi decides that she doesn’t like that male, she’ll just try to run away or try to scare him away with her size. If they do get the chance to breed though, the male has to incubate the egg. He does that for 75 to 85 days. If the female decides to lay another egg though, the male has to stay for just that much longer. If you happen to be watching the male incubating the eggs, don’t be too shocked. The eggs are huge. No. The Kiwi didn’t steal some other larger animal’s eggs. It’s a Kiwi egg. Expect the egg to be smooth and white, and about 20% of the female Kiwi’s weight.
While you’re marveling at the sheer size of the Kiwi’s egg, the female Kiwi is out somewhere scurrying for food. Every now and then, you might notice the female Kiwi stick its nose up in the air. That’s just to sense for danger. At night, the Kiwis protect themselves by patrolling around their nest at random times during the night while leaving smelly droppings to mark their boundaries. So make sure not to step too close or else you’ll be marked as a smelly substance.
After the few months are up, the baby Kiwi hatches from its egg, not with an egg tooth like other birds, but by kicking its way out of the shell. Kiwis are born fighters. Upon hatching, imagine it to look just like its parents. Kiwis completely skip the ugly baby phase and immediately take after their parents beautiful looks.
Just remember, Kiwis are not fruit. Sometimes they are, but the ones in New Zealand are endangered species that shouldn’t be eaten.
Some of the information used came from:
http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/kiwi
http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2008/08/24/strangest-endangered-species-and-animals/
Where is the nearest Kiwi distributor? These things are awesome! Very informative and thorough blog. I thought it was very interesting that their legs make up 1/3 of their body weight since they look so fat! Fooled me.
Holy crap kiwis are badasses. I always thought they were funny looking failures of evolution since they don’t look like the type of animal that could survive well, but I’m glad to be wrong. I now know that there is a species of angry, kick boxing bird out there and it is wonderful.