Before humans arrived, there were no land mammals living on New Zealand. In this unique environment, certain birds evolved into flightless species, like the kiwi, which gradually lost the ability to fly.

This changed drastically when colonists reached the islands and introduced mammals such as cats, dogs and rats. Since then, the kiwi has come under pressure. Today, the species is threatened with extinction and risks sharing the fate of the dodo. Active conservation efforts are now in place to prevent that.

One of the kiwi’s most remarkable traits is the size of its egg. In proportion to its body, it lays the largest egg of any bird. The egg is nearly as large as the bird itself. The incubation period lasts about 70 days, after which the chick is already developed enough to survive on its own.