THE UNUSUAL KIWI

If we have Garuda as our national emblem, in New Zealand the national animal emblem is the kiwi bird. It is a very unusual bird in a number of ways. First, it is nocturnal. It sleeps during the day and wakes up at night. The kiwi feeds on worms and grubs in the bush. It is also flightless. Its wings are tiny and of no use. It can’t even make the shortest flight. Kiwis are covered in small unusual feathers. They are similar to fur. Scientist are not sure why these fathers are so different from those of most other birds. For millions of years, kiwis had no animals to hunt them. This is why they were able to keep their ancient features and survive all this time.