The Kiwi

    The kiwi lives only in New Zealand, so it is the symbol of New Zealand. It is a very strand bird because it cannot fly. The kiwi is the same size as a chicken. It has no wings or tail. It does not have feathers like other birds. Its feathers look like hair. Each foot has four toes. Its beak(鸟喙)is very long.

     A kiwi likes to have a lot of trees around it. It sleeps during the day because the sunlight hurts its eyes. It can smell things very well. It smells things better than most birds do. The kiwi’s eggs are very big. Female kiwi is bigger than male kiwi.

   The bird itself is a treasure to Maori(新西兰的毛利人). Its feathers are valued in weaving kiwi feather cloak(斗篷) for people of high rank(等级).

     There is a picture of a kiwi on New Zealand money. People from New Zealand are sometimes called “kiwis.” Kiwi are a significant national icon(图标) in New Zealand. Kiwi are a symbol for the uniqueness（独特性） of New Zealand wildlife and the value of our natural heritage(遗产).

     There are only a few kiwis in New Zealand now. People do not often see them. The government says that people cannot kill kiwis. New Zealanders want their kiwis to live.

1. What is a kiwi?
2. Where does the kiwi live?
3. How big is a kiwi?
4. Does a kiwi have feathers?
5. When does a kiwi sleep?