How cute is the little ball of fluffy feathers in this gorgeous Instagram post from the Pūkaha National Wildlife Center? The Pūkaha National Wildlife Center is located on the border between the Wairarapa and Tararua regions in New Zealand. The little kiwi chick had a slightly risky start in life, but is being taken great care of by experts. Have a look at his downy feathers and super-long beak for yourself, and then read on to find out more about him.
Kiwis Are Special Birds
The kiwi eats small creatures from the ground.
©iStock.com/Jason Magerkorth
Kiwis are flightless birds found in New Zealand that are about the same size as a domestic chicken. They are the only birds to have nostrils on the tip of their beaks. This allows them to sniff out the grubs and small creatures in the soil that make up their diet. They then use their elongated beaks to poke them out of the ground before eating them!
Kiwis belong to a group of birds called ratites that have loose-fitting feathers instead of the tight, interlocking kind that most birds have. Their subtle coloring is meant to keep them safe from predators. Kiwis also lay huge eggs that are six times bigger than other birds of their size!
Meet Kiwi Chick MB127
This gorgeous chick currently has the rather unromantic name of MB127. He is the first kiwi chick (Apteryx mantelli) to hatch this season at the Pūkaha National Wildlife Center. The center hatches chicks as part of Operation Nest Egg, a program that aims to maintain kiwi populations. Once the birds reach 2.64 pounds, they are released into the wild. At hatching, MB127 weighed 0.71 pounds. Over the last decade, they have released 131 kiwis.
This little ball of feathers needed some help getting out of his shell because he couldn’t position his beak correctly to break through and start hatching. However, with some assistance, he was soon able to emerge and now has a bright future ahead.
