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The flightless kiwi bird, native to New Zealand, is a national symbol and appears on the country’s dollar coin and even the logo of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Kiwis have a strong sense of smell and lay the largest eggs of any bird species, but their population is declining due to predators and habitat loss.
The kiwi bird, native to New Zealand, is considered a biological oddity: The birds cannot fly, have heavy, muscular legs, and their plumage is thicker and hairier than typical feathers. This unique bird is so closely associated with the country, however, that New Zealanders are often referred to as “kiwis.” In fact, New Zealanders love the kiwi bird so much that it is used as a national symbol, both officially and unofficially. It appears on the New Zealand dollar coin, which is often informally referred to as a kiwi and, rather ironically, this flightless bird appears on the official logo of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Read more about the kiwi:
Unlike most birds, kiwis have a strong sense of smell, which is due to the nostrils located on their beaks. This allows them to smell worms in the soil to eat them.
As of 2016, the kiwifruit population is estimated to be around 68,000 and is declining at a rate of 2% annually, mainly due to predators and habitat loss.
Proportionally, kiwis lay the largest eggs of any bird species, at about 20% of their body weight.
