Sunday, August 29, 2010

Kiwi

Just as its name describes, the kiwi looks much like the furry fruit we can find at local grocery stores. An average kiwi is about the size of a chicken, but their eggs are much larger. They lay the largest eggs in relation to their body size of any other species of bird in the world. Currently, there are five species of this endangered animal, which must be protected from both deforestation and natural predators.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/02/0217_060217_kiwi.html

Just like any other bird, kiwis do have wings. However, their wings are so small, that they are completely covered by their feathers most of the time and are very difficult to spot. Because of their wing's tiny size and the fact that they have bone marrow, kiwis are unable to fly.

Another thing about kiwis is that they are usually nocturnal. When they come out at night, they use their keen sense of smell, which is unusual for a bird, to locate their food without having to see it. Kiwis generally eat grubs, seeds, worms, fruit, and amphibians.
http://theora.com/msdb.php/OriginOfSpecies/msdbCat/title/06-04%20-%20Transitions%20in%20Habits%20of%20Life


I am usually not very interested in birds, just because I see them all the time, but I actually liked learning about the kiwi. It definitely looks like a cross between a penguin, a hummingbird, an ostrich, and a kiwi (fruit). It was also cool to find out that it is a flightless bird. I can only think of a penguin as another flightless bird, unless I count the dodos that were in Ice Age.

*This picture just made me laugh*
http://www.bluebison.net/content/?cat=145

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