New Zealand

Kiwi

Meet the kiwi! This small, round, fuzzy bird can't fly at all, and it's so special to New Zealand that people from there call themselves "Kiwis" too.

Why is it special?

It's a bird that can't fly — its wings are so tiny they're hidden under its shaggy feathers.

It lays the largest egg compared to its body size of almost any bird on Earth.

Kiwis come out mostly at night, using their long beak and an amazing sense of smell to sniff out worms and bugs underground.

Unlike most birds, a kiwi's nostrils are right at the very tip of its beak instead of near its face, which helps it smell food buried in the dirt.

A kiwi egg can weigh up to a fifth of the mother's body weight — like a person giving birth to a five-year-old!

Kiwis are the only birds in the world with nostrils at the tip of their beak instead of near the base.

A kiwi egg can weigh up to a fifth of the mother's body weight — like a person giving birth to a five-year-old!
Kiwis are the only birds in the world with nostrils at the tip of their beak instead of near the base.
They have feathers that feel more like shaggy fur than typical bird feathers.
A kiwi's sense of smell is so strong it can sniff out a worm several inches underground.