Did you know there are birds who can’t fly? Other than the penguin there’s a bird called the Great spotted kiwi.  The great spotted kiwi is a bird with no wings and a long beak. The great spotted kiwi has a tough, leathery skin with hair like feathers with claws at the end of its wings.  Its been seen numerous of times in New Zealand where they dig dens to survive

 

This bird isn’t like any bird. The male can grow up to 45 cm but the female can grow 50 cm. The great spotted kiwi is greyish brownish with some white. They are nocturnal birds due to the predators in the day. Great spotted kiwis have long beaks to catch bugs underground, no wings, and a pear shaped body. Therefore The great spotted kiwi is a flightless bird with a long beak.

 

Where does this bird live? It lives in New Zealand next to rivers or in the alps.

Before people arrived in New Zealand there were about 12 million and now there are about 22 thousand as it is slowly decreasing because of predators around the area. The great spotted kiwi is vulnerable as of right now. The great spotted kiwi is a vulnerable species that live in New Zealand.

 

The kiwi has a special way of catching and eating its prey. In the food web, the great spotted kiwi eats insects and dogs, possum, and mustelids eat the great spotted kiwi. The kiwi eats  insects, snails, spiders, earthworms, crayfish, fallen fruits and berries 30 min after sunset by digging holes, poking it, and then swallowing it. Dogs, possum, and mustelids are predators that the kiwi has to be aware of. In order to keep safe from these predators the kiwi doesn’t hunt until night time where the predators will be a sleep and they also have their feathers that blend in the ground so predators will pass by. This kiwi eats bugs but keeps itself safe from predators by using its characteristics.

           

The great spotted kiwi is a vulnerable species that can protect itself in a special way. What really stands out about this bird is its really long beak and the fact that it has no wings. I think this bird is very unique but weird. It’s really interesting to learn about this bird.

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Author: Ashley M.

Published: 02/2014

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Sources:

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

http://www.arkive.org/great-spotted-kiwi/apteryx-haastii/