Order Apterygiformes / Kiwis and Extinct Birds

Kiwis is the national bird of New Zealand. Kiwis evolved 70 million years ago from a flightless ancestor. They are closely related to the Ostrich, Emu, and Rhea birds and the now-extinct New Zealand Moa.

The only 5 living species of kiwi in Apterygiformes order have the following characteristics:

• Kiwis have a small, pear-shaped body.
• One of their prominent features is the presence of robust legs and feet.
• Most of the species in the order have reduced wings about 4-5 centimeters long.
• The wings of kiwis have a unique structure – each wing has a claw hidden in the plumage.
• Another typical feature of a New Zealand kiwi is a long, flexible beak with a downward curve on the end.
• The birds of this order have various colors of plumage: pink, brown, and grey.
• The bill of the kiwi hides a thick and thorny tongue.
• The feathers in these birds resemble hair: they have a soft base and a thin, thread-like upper part that is hard to the touch.
• Juvenile kiwis have softer feathers than adults.
• Kiwis are endemic to New Zealand and prefer to live in rainforests; but as those areas slowly disappear, they can be found in grasslands, shrubs, and even pine forests.
• These birds are primarily nocturnal and sleep during the day.
• Kiwis are known to be carnivorous or omnivorous – they mainly feed on earthworms, beetles, and larvae, but sometimes can eat fruit and leaves.
• Kiwis are monogamous birds; the pairs form for long periods.
• When the time to lay eggs comes, kiwis dig burrows or use natural holes and caves as nests.
• The female in the pair lays one or two large eggs while the male incubates the eggs.
• The pair raises the hatched chicks together.

Because of their lifestyles, kiwis are incredibly vulnerable due to deforestation, hunting by humans and predation.

There are only 5 species in the kiwi family:

• Southern Brown Kiwi, Apteryx australis
• Little Spotted Kiwi, Apteryx owenii
• Great Spotted Kiwi, Apteryx haastii
• North Island Brown Kiwi, Apterix mantelli
• Okarito Kiwi, Apterix rowi

There are also some extinct species known in this order:

• Proapteryx micromeros.
• North Island Little Spotted Kiwi, Apteryx. o. iredelai