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The Okarto Brown Kiwi, or Rowi, is a species that has been identified only recently, and is small, with a grey tinted plumage and white facial feathers. Unlike other Kiwi species, the female lays as many as three eggs in three different nests each year, and both of the parents incubate them. These kiwis are found exclusively on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand. That means they are endemic to New Zealand. Kiwi Birds are the National Bird of New Zealand.
There are several different varieties of sub species as well, including the Tokoekoa, the Stewart Island Tokoea, the Northern Fiordland Tokoea, the Southern Fiordland Tokoea, and the North Island brown Kiwi, to name a few.
Kiwis are usually nocturnal, which some scientists believe is due to their inability to fend off predators. They are the only birds with nostrils at the end of their beaks. They use these special beaks to find food like insects, grubs or earthworms in the soft soil. Kiwis nest in hollow logs or under tree roots. Like other ratites, kiwis have no wing muscles, only vestigial wings. The closest relatves of the Kiwi are the Ostrich, Emu, and other members of the Cassowarie Family. These are also flightless birds.
Kiwi Birds of New Zealand
Latin Name Apteryx australis
Status Endangered