# Kiwi (*Apteryx australis*)

> The kiwi (Apteryx australis) is a flightless, nocturnal bird found only in New Zealand, roughly the size of a chicken with shaggy, hair-like feathers and no visible wings. Unique among birds, it has nostrils at the very tip of its long bill, which it uses to sniff out earthworms and insects in the soil. It weighs about 1.3 to 3.5 kg and can live 25 to 50 years. Several kiwi species are Vulnerable.

- **Category:** Bird
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Vulnerable
- **Range:** New Zealand only — native to both main islands and several offshore islands; found nowhere else on Earth.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/kiwi/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Apterygiformes
- **Family:** Apterygidae
- **Genus:** Apteryx

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Apteryx australis (Brown Kiwi) |
| Diet | Omnivore (earthworms, insects, berries) |
| Habitat | Native forest, scrubland, and farmland with cover |
| Lifespan | 25–50 years in the wild |
| Weight | 1.3–3.5 kg (3–8 lb) |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN; varies by species) |
| Found | New Zealand only |

## A bird like no other

The kiwi is one of the world's most unusual birds, so distinctive that it is often described as an honorary mammal. About the size of a chicken and weighing 1.3 to 3.5 kg, it has loose, shaggy feathers that look more like coarse hair, and its wings are so tiny as to be invisible. It has no tail, strong muscular legs, and a body temperature lower than most birds. Kiwi are the smallest of the ratites, the flightless group that includes the ostrich and emu.

## Smell and the tip-of-bill nostrils

Alone among birds, the kiwi has nostrils at the very tip of its long, slender bill rather than at the base. This gives it an exceptional sense of smell, which it uses to detect earthworms, grubs, and insects hidden underground. Probing the soil, it sniffs out prey it cannot see and seizes it deep in the leaf litter. This reliance on smell, rare in the bird world, suits its nocturnal, ground-based way of life.

## Diet and nocturnal habits

The kiwi is an omnivore that feeds chiefly on earthworms and insect larvae, adding berries, seeds, and other invertebrates to its diet. It is strictly nocturnal, spending the day in a burrow and emerging after dark to forage across the forest floor. Sensitive whiskers around the bill and acute hearing help it move and feed in near-total darkness. Its poor eyesight matters little for a bird that lives by scent and touch.

## The remarkable egg

The kiwi lays one of the largest eggs relative to body size of any bird, an egg that can make up around a fifth of the female's weight. The male usually takes on the long task of incubation, sitting for around 70 to 80 days. Chicks hatch fully feathered and able to leave the burrow within days, feeding themselves without being fed by the parents. This huge investment in a single well-developed chick is another of the kiwi's mammal-like traits.

## Habitat and range

Kiwi are found only in New Zealand, living in native forest, scrubland, and rough farmland that offers dense cover. They are territorial and largely monogamous, and pairs may stay together for many years, calling to each other at night. The bird's loud, shrill call, especially the male's, carries far through the dark forest and gives the kiwi its name. Wild kiwi can live 25 to 50 years, a long lifespan for a bird of its size.

## Why kiwi are threatened

Kiwi are listed as Vulnerable, with several species declining and the status varying from one species to another. Their greatest threat comes from introduced predators such as stoats, dogs, and cats, which kill huge numbers of chicks and adults each year. Habitat loss has also shrunk their range since human settlement. Intensive conservation, including predator control and 'Operation Nest Egg', in which eggs are hatched in safety and chicks released once large enough to defend themselves, is central to saving them.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can a kiwi fly?

No. The kiwi is flightless, with wings so small they are hidden in its shaggy feathers. It lives entirely on the ground, using strong legs to run and forage across the forest floor.

### Why does the kiwi have nostrils at the end of its beak?

The kiwi is the only bird with nostrils at the tip of its bill. This gives it a superb sense of smell for detecting earthworms, grubs, and insects underground, which it probes for at night.

### What does a kiwi eat?

The kiwi is an omnivore that eats mainly earthworms and insect larvae, along with berries, seeds, and other invertebrates. It forages at night, sniffing prey out of the soil and leaf litter.

### Where do kiwi live?

Kiwi live only in New Zealand, in native forest, scrubland, and farmland with plenty of cover. They are nocturnal and spend the day hidden in burrows, emerging after dark to feed.

### How long do kiwi live?

Wild kiwi can live between 25 and 50 years, which is remarkably long for a bird of their size. Their slow reproduction, with just one or two large eggs at a time, is offset by this long life.

### Why are kiwi endangered?

Kiwi are Vulnerable mainly because of introduced predators such as stoats, dogs, and cats, which kill many chicks and adults. Habitat loss has added to the decline, and conservation now relies heavily on predator control and captive-rearing programmes.

## Sources

- [IUCN Red List — Apteryx australis.](https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Apteryx%20australis&searchType=species)
- [Animal Diversity Web — Apteryx australis. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Apteryx_australis/)
- [Wikipedia — Kiwi.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_brown_kiwi)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/kiwi/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.