Question
What is the national bird of New Zealand?

What is the national bird of New Zealand?

Last updated: September 14, 2025

New Zealand sits way down at the bottom of the world, completely isolated from everything else, which gave evolution plenty of time to get seriously creative. The islands ended up with some of the weirdest wildlife on the planet, including birds that forgot how to fly, parrots that party all night, and penguins that waddle around like they own the place. But when it came time to pick a national bird for the whole country, which one did New Zealanders pick?

Correct Answer: Kiwi

(Source)

The kiwi earned the top spot despite being about as un-birdlike as possible. These feathery potatoes can't fly, sleep all day, and spend their nights poking around the forest floor with beaks that look like they were designed by someone with their eyes closed. They're roughly the size of a chicken but with the attitude of a hermit who just wants to be left alone to hunt for worms in peace. New Zealanders loved these weird little birds so much that they started calling themselves "Kiwis." The kiwi showed up on military badges back in the 1880s and has been plastering itself across New Zealand coins ever since 1933.

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