kiwi birdimage credit: news.nationalgeographi.com

kiwi birdimage credit: animalesextincion.es

kiwi birdimage credit: animalpicturesarchive.com

image credit: adventuresofabeautyqueen.com
Habitat: New Zealand
Status: Species range from Near Threatened to Vulnerable, to Critically Endangered

The national symbol of New Zealand is none other than the Kiwi. A nocturnal, flightless bird, the five species of Kiwi on Earth are all endangered due to habitat destruction and invasive mammalian predators.

This is truly a very unique creature as it has several interesting features about it. For one, though Kiwis are the size of domestic chickens, they are able to lay eggs that are 6 times larger than that of a chicken. Kiwis actually lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any bird in the world.

Kiwis also have a very acute sense of smell (which is highly unusual for a bird) and are the only birds with nostrils at the end of their beaks! These remarkable creatures can find insects and worms underground without actually seeing or feeling them, due to their keen sense of smell.

But my favorite part about the Kiwi is that once bonded, two birds form a monogamous couple for life. These relationships may last for up to 20 years! How cuuuute.

Speaking of cute, check out this short animation featuring a Kiwi bird who wants to fly desperately and will do just about anything to reach his goal: (seriously you have to watch this)