Te Puke - the Kiwi Fruit Capital - north of Tauranga, NZ
http://www.archertours.co.nz/
Kiwi Bird:
The kiwi is the sole survivor of an ancient order of birds including the now extinct moas. A flightless bird about the size of a domestic fowl, the kiwi has coarse, bristly, hair-like feathers. Females are larger than males.
Kiwis grow to about the size of a chicken and weigh between three and nine pounds. They have no tail and tiny two inch wings which for all practical purposes, are useless. Despite its awkward appearance, a kiwi can actually outrun a human and have managed to survive because of their alertness and their sharp, three-toed feet, which enable them to kick and slash an enemy.
The kiwi’s long slender bill has
nostrils at the lower end. Using its excellent sense of smell and flexible bill,
the kiwi feeds on worms, insects and grubs, supplemented by leaves, berries and
seeds. There are five kinds of kiwi in New Zealand - three closely related...
Brown Kiwis, the Little Spotted Kiwi and the Great Spotted Kiwi... are pictured
at the bottom of the page.
The main breeding period is
from late winter to summer. Nests may be in hollow logs, under tree roots, in
natural holes or in burrows excavated mainly by the male. Most clutches contain
one or two eggs. Eggs are smooth, and coloured ivory or greenish-white. Kiwi
eggs are proportionately larger compared to the size of the adult female than
the eggs of any other bird. An egg may reach one-quarter of its mother’s weight.
After the first egg is laid, the male takes over incubation and nest
maintenance. Incubation takes about eleven weeks but if the female returns to
lay another egg, the male has to sit on the clutch for a much longer time.
Leaving the nest only occasionally, the male’s weight can decrease by up to one
third.
The young kiwi emerges wearing shaggy adult plumage. The young chick is not fed by the adult, but survives on a large reserve of yolk in its belly. Gaining strength, the chick remains in the nest for six to ten days. The young kiwi then leaves the burrow, and, accompanied by the male, begins to search for food. Kiwis have been known to live up to twenty years.
Before the coming of the Maori, the kiwi had no predators. Although the Maori valued kiwi feathers for making cloaks, the number of birds killed by Maoris was probably insignificant. During the latter part of last century, many thousands of kiwis were captured by Europeans for zoos, museums and private collections. Bush clearing, introduced predators, opossum traps and motor vehicles have all contributed to the reduction in the kiwi popula
tion. However, the kiwi has fared markedly better than other
flightless birds such as the Kakapo and Takahe. As long as suitable habitat is
set aside, and the remaining kiwis are left undisturbed, the survival of this
unique bird should be assured.
The Kiwi as an emblem first appeared late 19th* century in New Zealand regimental badges. Badges of the South Canterbury Battalion in 1886 and the Hastings Rifle Volunteers in 1887 both featured kiwis. Later, kiwis appeared in a great number of military badges. In 1887 the new Auckland University College (opened 1883) featured on their Coat of Arms three kiwis, symbolising the confinement of the kiwi to the islands of New Zealand. Students of the University in 1905, began publishing a magazine called “The Kiwi” which survived until the mid 1960s.
