Kiwi Life Cycle

Over millions of years, with no mammal predators, kiwi adapted to life on the ground.

They make their homes in many different environments, from snowy tussock lands to sand dune burrows, from mossy forest floors to rough grassland.

Kiwi have been described as breeding machines – they produce huge eggs with the consistency of battery hens. Take away the predators, particularly stoats, and kiwi could be successful once again.

What came first – the chick or the egg?

Adult kiwi set up a territory, prepare a nesting burrow and then mate. When the female produces her huge egg (or two), it is usually the male that incubates it. When the egg hatches, a fully feathered chick emerges to face its first few days of life.

Corporate Support

Join the corporate partners programme and become a champion of kiwi and the environment.

Call Count Monitoring

Hear what a kiwi call sounds like, and learn how to monitor kiwi.

Upcoming Events

Check out all the upcoming kiwi events.

Did You Know?

Kiwi sleep standing up. They tuck their head and shoulder under their tiny wing stump, or at least in that general area. It’s not always fun to be flightless.