New Zealand is a series of islands the biggest of which are the North and South Islands situated in the southern west end of the Pacific Ocean. The islands were first settle by Polynesian people called the Maori in the 13^th century and then by Europeans in the 19^th. The country’s geographic location as well as its relative isolation from other landmasses has created a unique wild life.

Kiwi is a small flightless bird that has turned into a national symbol for New Zealand. It has the size of a domestic chicken and is the smallest species in its family. The kiwi is the bird that lays the biggest egg in the world compared to its own size. The bird has five different variations- the great spotted kiwi, little spotted kiwi, tokoeka (3 distinctions) and the North Island brown kiwi.

The species is endangered. It has been greatened by extensive deforestation and the introduction of foreign predators that the bird cannot defend against. Many niches in the ecological chain of the islands have been taken over by birds which created such unique variety of species there. The kiwi is a nocturnal creature that avoids contact with humans. They prefer subtropical forests but can also live in other habitats from mountains, grasslands and sub-alpine scrub.

Kiwis have exceptionally acute sense of smell which is very uncommon for birds. They have nostrils located at the end of their beaks which allow them to pick prey in the water and underground. They eat insects, seeds, grubs, different worms, small fish, fruits, eels and amphibians. They have the size of a chicken but the size of their egg is six times bigger. The male of the species takes care of the egg for about 90 days.

Today there are many protected habitat, parks and natural reserves where kiwi populations are growing. In those territories they can be freely seen even during the day roaming around. If you want to visit one of them you might want to rent a car. Car rental companies in New Zealand are Thrifty, Budget, Avis, Europcar and Hertz.

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