THE WINGLESS WANDERER

❃ The kiwi is one of New Zealand’s most extraordinary birds, with tiny wings, shaggy hair-like feathers, powerful legs, and no visible tail. Unlike most birds, kiwis are nocturnal and spend much of the night walking through forests and grasslands in search of food. Their unusual appearance and ancient lineage have made them such an important national symbol that New Zealanders themselves are affectionately known as “Kiwis.”

❃ A kiwi experiences the world largely through smell and touch. Its nostrils sit near the very tip of its long bill—an unusual arrangement among birds—helping it sniff out earthworms, insects, and other invertebrates hidden beneath the soil. Sensitive structures at the bill tip can also detect subtle vibrations and movements underground, allowing the kiwi to locate prey it cannot see.

❃ Kiwi reproduction is just as remarkable. Females produce an enormous egg relative to their body size, among the largest proportions of any bird, and in several species the male takes responsibility for most or all of the incubation. Flightless, nocturnal, and wonderfully unconventional, the kiwi is a remarkable survivor found nowhere naturally outside New Zealand.