Kiwi or kiwis are flightless birds native to New Zealand. Approximately the size
of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites which also
consist of ostriches, emus, rheas, and cassowaries.
DNA sequence comparisons have yielded the surprising conclusion that kiwi are much
more closely related to the extinct Malagasy elephant birds than to the moa with
which they shared New Zealand. There are five recognised species, four of which
are currently listed as vulnerable, and one of which is near-threatened. All
species have been negatively affected by historic deforestation but currently the
remaining large areas of their forest habitat are well protected in reserves and
national parks. At present, the greatest threat to their survival is predation by
invasive mammalian predators.
The kiwi's egg is one of the largest in proportion to body size up to 20% of the
female's weight of any species of bird in the world. Other unique adaptations of
kiwi, such as their hairlike feathers, short and stout legs, and using their
nostrils at the end of their long beak to detect prey before they ever see it,
have helped the bird to become internationally well-known.
The kiwi is recognised as an icon of New Zealand, and the association is so strong
that the term Kiwi is used internationally as the colloquial demonym for New
Zealanders.
