23/10/2022
Interesting facts about the kiwi bird
Fact 1. Unique kiwi birds are found only in New Zealand, and their closest relatives in terms of zoology are ostriches. These are very interesting creatures - their wings are in their infancy, there are no tails at all, and feathers are more like wool. For the first time, these creatures arose on Earth, according to various sources, from 30 to 75 million years ago.
Fact 2. In New Zealand, the kiwi is a national symbol, and they are held in high esteem. For causing them any time, severe liability is provided, up to criminal liability, and the question of eating them will horrify any New Zealander, just as if he were offered to taste human flesh. By the way, the New Zealanders themselves, by the way, have long been nicknamed “kiwi” by their Australian neighbors, and they wear this nickname with pride.
Fact 3. These are very cautious creatures. Kiwis are nocturnal, and come out in search of food after dusk. They search for food by tearing the ground with their muscular legs, which account for up to 30% of their body weight. Their eyesight is very weak, but in the dark this is not so important, since it is compensated by a subtle sense of smell and hearing.
Fact 4. Kiwi birds do not have any defense mechanisms with which they could defend themselves from predators. Therefore, they rely mainly on caution, and make a lot of shelters in their habitat. On 1 km² of area, an adult can dig up to 40-50 shelters, so that in case of danger, the nearest one can be reached in a matter of seconds.
Fact 5. Among all birds, it is the kiwi that holds the absolute record for the ratio of egg mass to the body mass of an adult that lays this egg. An egg can weigh up to 25% of the mass of the bird itself! No one else on Earth has such a ratio, not even ostriches and cassowaries. In terms of the percentage of yolk to protein, their eggs also rank first in the world, the yolk in them accounts for up to 65%.
Fact 6. Unlike most other birds, kiwis do not look after their offspring. As soon as the chick hatches from the nest and gets out into the light, the parents leave him forever. All that a newborn has is a supply of subcutaneous fat for several days, full plumage and a desire to survive at any cost. Anyway, however, 9 out of 10 chicks do not live up to six months. But those of them that manage to survive have every chance of living up to 55-60 years.
Fact 7. In total, there are 5 species of these birds in the world, and all of them are listed in the Red Book. In the last century, they almost died out, as animals brought to New Zealand by Europeans began to seize living space and displace the original inhabitants of these lands. But the long and hard work of the New Zealand government has borne fruit, and since the beginning of the 21st century, the kiwi population has been slowly but surely growing.
Fact 8. Kiwi birds have a special smell, very strange - it resembles the smell of mushrooms. Even people are able to distinguish it, what can we say about other animals? Therefore, predators hunt these creatures so actively - because of the strong smell, it is very easy for them to detect defenseless prey.
Fact 9. When digging another shelter, cautious kiwis are in no hurry to occupy it right away. At first, they wait several weeks for the growing grass to hide the traces of earthworks, and sometimes they even additionally mask the entrance to the hole with leaves and twigs. And for safety reasons, they never sleep in the same shelter for two days in a row.
Fact 10. The kiwi fruit got its name precisely because of its resemblance to the fluffy body of the bird of the same name. At the same time, these fruits come from China, and not from New Zealand, although their large and juicy varieties, which are now sold in stores, were bred by New Zealanders.
