How is the kiwi adapted to nocturnal life?
The kiwi is a flightless, mostly nocturnal bird endemic to New Zealand.
Anatomy, feeding and habitat
Its wings are greatly reduced, bones are heavier than those of flying birds, and powerful legs suit walking and digging. Nostrils near the bill tip support smell-based searching for worms and invertebrates underground. Sensory structures around the bill also help detect vibrations. A bird's bill, feet, wings and feathers offer clues to feeding and movement, although one structure can serve several functions. Flight depends on muscles, body proportions and weather as well as wing size. Season, age and molt may change appearance.
Behavior, reproduction and conservation
It produces an unusually large egg relative to body size, and the chick hatches well developed and mobile. Flightlessness evolved where mammalian predators were absent. Introduced stoats, cats, dogs and rats now pose serious risks, especially to eggs and young. Breeding timing relates to food and climate, and nest success from one year is not generalized. Light pollution, glass collisions, habitat loss and invasive species affect birds differently. Conservation includes feeding, resting and migration sites as well as nests.