Classification The Australasian ratites (Emus, Cassowaries and Kiwis) share a common ancestor, as seen in the genealogical tree under "Struthioniformes". Kiwis belong to the Apterygiforme order, which comprises five species of flightless birds found in New Zealand.

The name is a Maori word referring to the shrill call of the male. Kiwis are grayish brown birds the size of a chicken. They are unusual in many respects: the vestigial wings are hidden within the plumage; the nostrils are at the tip (rather than the base) of the long, flexible bill; the feathers, which have no aftershafts, are soft and hairlike; the legs are stout and muscular; and each of the four toes has a large claw. The eyes are small and inefficient in full daylight, the ear openings are large and well developed, and very long bristles (perhaps tactile) occur at the base of the bill.

Dwelling in forests, kiwis sleep by day in burrows and forage for food—worms, insects and their larvae, and berries—by night. They can run swiftly when required; when trapped they use their claws in defense. One or two large white eggs—up to 450 g (1 pound) in weight—are laid in a burrow and are incubated by the male for about 80 days. The egg is, relative to the size of the bird, the largest of any living species. The chick hatches fully feathered and with its eyes open; it does not eat for about a week.

Although no longer abundant, kiwis appear to be in no danger of extinction and may even be gradually adapting to semipastoral land.

kiwi. (2011). Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite.  Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwi