Main content

Brown Kiwi

Miranda Krestovnikoff presents the New Zealand brown kiwi.

Tweet of the Day is the voice of birds and our relationship with them, from around the world.

Miranda Krestovnikoff presents the New Zealand brown kiwi. A piercing wail can be heard in a forest at night. A brown kiwi is calling. Only found in New Zealand, kiwi are flightless birds and the brown kiwi, which is about the size of a domestic chicken, lays an egg weighing as much as a quarter of its own bodyweight – proportionally; the largest egg for its size of any bird. More mammal like than birds; their tiny eyes are of little use, but they have an excellent sense of smell, using their nostrils located unusually for birds near the end of the bill. Held in great affection, brown kiwi appear on coins, stamps and coats-of- arms as well as providing a nick-name for New Zealand's national rugby team.

Producer: Andrew Dawes

Available now

2 minutes

Last on

Wed 19 Jul 2023 05:58

Clip

Brown Kiwi (Apteryx australis)

Webpage image courtesy of Tui De Roy / naturepl.com.

© Tui De Roy / naturepl.com.

Broadcasts

  • Wed 1 Oct 2014 05:58
  • Sun 5 Oct 2014 08:58
  • Tue 8 Sep 2015 05:58
  • Wed 14 Dec 2016 05:58
  • Fri 2 Aug 2019 05:58
  • Mon 19 Jul 2021 05:58
  • Mon 16 Jan 2023 05:58
  • Wed 19 Jul 2023 05:58

Podcast: Planet Puffin

Podcast: Planet Puffin

Exploring all things puffin - the silly and the serious, the scientific and the cultural.

Try this new podcast

Five stories of birds and birdsong are told by the people inspired by them.

Podcast