Ben+Kiwi



Intro The Kiwi is one of NZs flightless and endangered wonderful birds. In this report you will find out lots of amazing and extraordinary facts about the Kiwi.

__Beaks & Feet__ The Kiwis beak is very long and slim. It uses it for probing into the ground to search for food. Its nostrils are at the front of its beak, when most bird’s nostrils are at the back. It has long legs for kicking, running and slashing with its claws. It also uses its claws for ripping into soft logs to make its home and also for defending itself from predators.

__Eggs & Nests__ The Kiwis main breeding period is late winter through to summer. It nests in hollow logs, under tree roots and holes it has dug in the ground. Most eggs have 1-2 in it. The eggs are oval shaped so if they start rolling they will start rolling around in circles instead of going straight out of the nest. The eggs are very smooth and they are usually ivory green or greenish white.

__Predators__ Some predators are usually just house pets like cats and dogs. But it’s not just them it is also ferrets and other pests like that. Also sometimes they wander onto the road and get run over by cars. It doesn’t help with us littering either. You may think when you chuck out a plastic bag onto the ground you would say its just a bag but it may get blown into the bush and a bird may come along and mistake it for something to eat then it would get stuck in its airways and choke then die. So next time you have a plastic bag don’t throw it on the ground try recycling.

__Habitat__ It lives in bushy forest in NZ. It only comes out at night to hunt for food so not many people see it in its natural habitat. In its habitat there are lots of insects like fly’s and worms, which it mainly eats.

__Facts__ • A Kiwi can outrun a human with its strong muscular legs. • Not many people have seen a Kiwi in the wild. • The Kiwi can not fly. • When it was first introduced many people thought it was fake. • The female is larger than the male. • Kiwis come out at night, which means they are nocturnal. • It has a wingspan of 4 inches.

Bibliography
 * [|http://www.mtbruce.org.nz/kiwiinfo.htm>]
 * __http://www.kcc.org.nz/birds/kiwi/map.asp __
 * [|http://www.nikw27.orconhosting.net.nz/lifecycle.html]

Glossary
 * Flightless - Cannot fly
 * Wingspan - Length of wings
 * Nocturnal - Comes out at night
 * Habitat - Place where something lives
 * Littering - Throwing rubbish onto the ground
 * Endangered - Not much of the bird left