Kiwi

Have you ever wondered why New Zealanders are known as Kiwis?

A very long time ago, during the Second Boer War (1899-1902) and the First World War (1914-1918), soldiers wore regimental badges which featured a kiwi, so they were nicknamed ‘kiwis’ by other soldiers. And now kiwi is a common nickname for anyone born or living in New Zealand.

Kiwi are very special birds found only in New Zealand. They can live to be 40 years old; they have nostrils at the end of their beaks for sniffing out berries, worms and insects to eat; their tiny wings are useless for flying, but they have very strong legs for running fast and kicking; they’re nocturnal – which means they sleep all day and stay awake at night. Once the female has laid her egg, which is almost the same size as her body, the male takes care of it until the kiwi chick hatches. Kiwi feathers look rough and shaggy, but they are very soft to touch – I know that’s true because I was once lucky enough to hold a young kiwi.

Kiwi are in constant danger of being killed or badly hurt by stoats, ferrets, weasels, rats, wild cats and dogs. In 1987 a wild dog was known to have killed around 500 kiwi in a Northland forest.  This is why hunters, scientists and Department of Conservation workers have to keep their dogs muzzled when they’re in the forests.

To find out more about kiwi or other birds, check out 598 in the junior non-fiction section of the library, look at the Kids Cat websites or just ask a librarian.