The Kiwi is the national bird of New Zealand. It is flightless, its feathers appear as hairs.

There are five (5) species of Kiwi:

• Little Spotted Kiwi/kiwi pukupuku (Apteryx owenii) on several offshore islands and two mainland sanctuaries.
• Great Spotted Kiwi/roroa (Apteryx haastii) in the northwestern South Island and around Arthur's Pass National Park.
• Brown Kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) in the North Island.
• Rowi (Apteryx rowi) at Okarito, on the West Coast of the South Island.
• Tokoeka (Apteryx australis) in the South Island (Fiordland, the Haast Range and Stewart Island).

Arthur's Pass National Park is home to about 2,800 Great Spotted Kiwi. The population is slowly recovering. Both the Great & Little Spotted Kiwis are only found in the South Island.

Kiwis are mainly nocturnal, however can still function during the day if the need arises. It is not un-usual to see Kiwi on Stewart Island foraging for food mid-afternoon.

Kiwi eat berries, insect lavae and worms, using their long beaks to hunt down both the later.

They nest in natural or excavated holes under stones, in stream banks, between tree roots or even on open, flat ground. The female lays 1 or 2 highly-glazed, ivory white or greenish eggs which are extremely large and may weigh up to one quarter of the adult birds weight. Eggs are incubated by the male.