Reproduction

The kiwi breeds between winter and summer. The male attracts the female’s attention by following her around and grunting.  Once the pair are together they will generally remain together for life. Recently it has been discovered that a ‘divorce’ may occur if a more attractive male wanders by the female.

The male makes a nest for the pair in a hollow log or in a burrow dug into the ground. Into this nest the female will deposit up to 6 eggs. The egg is 20% of the mother’s body weight. The egg is incubated for 75 to 80 days. The male sits on the eggs for this entire time.

The kiwi does not have an egg tooth. This means they kick their way out of the egg. The youngster looks like a miniature version of the parents. The baby develops a lot in the egg due to its large size.

Once out of the egg they consume the egg yolk. They receive most of the food they need to start life from this. They also get essential antifungals and antibacterial from this to protect them in their home which is a breeding ground for these.

They spend just a few days in the nest. After leaving the nest 20 days are spent following the dad around their territory. Then they become independent but may live in their parents territory for another year.

Behavior

Brown kiwis are highly protective of their territory a trait rarely seen in other birds. Each night they leave smelly droppings that mark the area so other kiwis do not intrude in their area. Some kiwis have been known to fight over territory. Very rarely these will end in death.

The brown kiwi emits a ‘kee-wee’ sound which their name was derived from. They can also emit grunts, hisses and snorts.

To find food the kiwi will poke around in the leaf litter with their long beaks. They can also kick apart a log with their legs to get to the beetles inside.

Kiwi eggs could be so large in part from the lack of predators. Introduced species such as stoats, weasels, dogs, cats, ferrets and rats have placed the species in danger. This has led to a 95% infant mortality rate.

The brown kiwi is primarily nocturnal though recently they have been observed out in the day more often.

Quick facts

The brown kiwi is the species of kiwi which is found worldwide in zoos

The kiwi holds the Guinness world record for largest bird egg relative to body size.

The kiwi is the national bird of New Zealand