Food and Feeding

​What does a Kiwi eat?

The kiwi is a very special bird of Aotearoa (NZ). Unlike most birds, kiwi cannot fly! It lives on the forest floor, camouflaged by its brown feathers which are the same color as the leaves and twigs that have fallen on the forest floor.

The kiwi is a nighttime bird - we say it is nocturnal. That means it sleeps during the day and comes out to look for food at night.​

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​The kiwi has a long, strong beak with nostrils on the end of it. At night it pokes around in the undergrowth, setting out its favorite foods.

​The kiwi likes to eat worms, slugs, snails, insects and insect larvae, spiders, berries, seeds, and leaves. Kiwi hunts insects, but cats, dogs, and stoats will hunt kiwi. The kiwi has strong legs so it can run but it does not always get away in time. Next time you are in the bush at night, stay very still and quiet, you might hear the whistling sound of a kiwi.