hey everybody, welcome to another episode of Weird Biology! today, Iâm going to give you a fresh look at a really weird bird you may have heard of before. so get ready to learn some badass new facts about this scrappy little football!
all right, so there isnât much badass about a hairy, nocturnal, flightless, island-dwelling bird a little bigger than a chicken. or so theyâd like you to think.
Kiwis live in New Zealand, which is fitting because theyâre the Hobbits of birds. (bear with me a minute and put down the torches, please)
I swear Iâm going somewhere with this
like Hobbits, Kiwis live in burrows. also like Hobbits, Kiwis are short, stocky creatures; they grow to be about eighteen inches tall and 7 pounds. (this is just slightly larger than the average chicken and probably larger than you thought they were) like Hobbits, Kiwis are voracious omnivores and eat basically anything they can fit in that ridiculous beak. and finally as Iâm sure youâve noticed, Kiwis are prodigiously hairy. like Hobbits.
and finally, the Kiwi would absolutely carry a cursed item to the ends of the earth and throw down with a Ring Wraith. (but theyâd do it out of spite)
spite is the only emotion the Kiwi can feel
see, Kiwis are aggressive, territorial, and extremely tenacious. they defend their territories and burrows against anything and everything, including humans and probably also marauding armies of orcs. which, since Kiwis have squat muscular legs and extremely sharp claws, is no joke.
no seriously, theyâve been known to sprint out of the underbrush without warning, gouge people in the shin, and sprint away.
itâs a lot less funny when you realize that theyâre at least as fast as you are.
adding to their sheer tenacious badassery is the fact that Kiwis are even still around. I donât know if you guys are super familiar with what usually happens to flightless island-dwelling birds when humans and non-native predators show up, but itâs not good. (HINT: starts with an E and rhymes with âdistinctionâ)
hundreds of years ago, humans first arrived on New Zealand. and they brought dogs and rats with them. these predators have been taking huge tolls on the Kiwi population for a very long time, but Kiwis are fighty tenacious bastards and against all odds theyâre still here. for comparison: the Kakapo (New Zealandâs other largish flightless bird) has faced the same problem with introduced predators and is now damn near extinct.
Kiwi resilience is in large part thanks to New Zealandâs conservation programs, but also Kiwis are just tough little bastards who donât know when to quit.
but Iâve saved the most thrashtacularly metal feat of the Kiwi for last. Kiwis form bonded pairs for life (awww), and lay one to two eggs together per year. which, okay, does not sound like a lot. however, there is an important fact that needs to be brought into consideration:
yes, thatâs a REAL FUCKING XRAY. HOOOOOLY SHIT.
the egg is fucking huge. like, up to 25% of the momâs body weight huge. thatâs completely fucking ridiculous and itâs upsetting to even think about.Â
but that big egg makes a big, well-developed chick who comes out of the shell ready to stab you in the shin and sprint into the bushes. theyâre literally born ready to throw down and are basically mini-adults. but still adorable.
continuing the family tradition!
unfortunately despite their badass ways, Kiwis are currently still under threat from introduced predators. the good news is that Kiwis are loved, celebrated, and protected by New Zealanders. (who are justly and rightly invested in their national bird, shin-kicking quirks and all)
there are many conservation programs in place for the embattled Kiwi, and its weirdness is a light that wonât be going out anytime soon.
shine on, you little weirdos, shine on.
thanks for reading! you can find the rest of the Weird Biology series here.
if you enjoy my work, maybe buy me a coffee so I can caffeinate myself into the 5th dimension.
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