Kiwi Or apteryx, being the smallest of an order of a primitive flightless birds that includes also the ostrich, the emu, and the cassowary. The Maoris gave its name for its shrill, piping call, and is most closely related to the extinct moa.

Kiwis are the size of a large chicken and they have short stout legs and course, dark plumage that hides their rudimentary wings. Its wing lacks the tail plumes and walks with a rolling gait. It is the only bird whose nostrils open at the tip of the bill, which is about 6 in. long, curved , and slender. Kiwis are mostly nocturnal and hide during the day and forage at nights for grubs and worms. having poor eyesight the long, hairy bristles at the base of the bill are believed to have a tactile function which is thought to supplement their keen sense of smell in hunting.

They nest in underground burrows , where the male performs the incubational duties. They have one or two white chalky eggs are around 5 in. long, weigh almost a pound and take from 75 to 80 days to hatch. The three living species of kiwi have dwindled with the advance of agriculture and the introduction of cats, weasels, and Stokes, but now are rapidly protected by law.

New Zealand use this bird. As a symbol , and it appears on the seal, coins, stamps, and various products of its homeland; overseas news Zealand troops are popularly called kiwis.

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