We Love the KIWI!

The National Zoo welcomed a new kiwi chick on March 7, 2008. The chick, whose sex has yet to be determined by DNA testing, is the third chick to ever hatch at the National Zoo. The first hatching occurred in 1975 and was the first to occur outside of New Zealand. Kiwis are endangered and are extremely rare to see in captivity -- only four zoos outside of New Zealand have successfully bred kiwis, and only three US zoos exhibit them, including the National Zoo which has exhibited kiwis since 1967. (Credit: Jessie Cohen, Smithsonian's National Zoo)

ScienceDaily (Mar. 17, 2008) — Early Friday morning, March 7, one of the world's most endangered species--a North Island brown kiwi--hatched at the Smithsonian's National Zoo Bird House. Keepers had been incubating the egg for five weeks, following a month long incubation by the chick's father, carefully monitoring it for signs of pipping: the process in which the chick starts to break through the shell. The chick remained in an isolet for four days and is now in a specially designed brooding box.

The sex of the chick is still unknown and is difficult to determine by sight. For this reason, Bird House staff enlisted the help of National Zoo geneticists. Using DNA samples swabbed from the inside of the egg and from the bird's beak, the geneticists hope to decipher its sex in the coming weeks.

There are five species of kiwi and all are unique to New Zealand. The North Island brown species of kiwi is the national bird of New Zealand. They are widely thought to be the most ancient bird and have existed in New Zealand for more than 30 million years. Kiwis typically mate for life, and both parents share the responsibility of caring for the egg. After kiwi chicks hatch, however, they receive no parental care. Unlike other bird species, kiwis hatch fully feathered and equipped with all of the necessary skills they need to survive.

Rare North Island Brown Kiwi Hatches At Smithsonian's National Zoo

I´m back!

We, the mean divas, just... love the KIWIS! So, no surprise in finding this note here. Check the other posts about the kiwis in our blog:

http://meandivas.blogspot.com/2007/08/post-by-request.html

http://meandivas.blogspot.com/2008/02/hip-hip-hupai.html

Why do we love these birds?

Probably because they stand for uniqueness, maybe because they cannot fly.... maybe because they are endangered, and of course because they are CUTE!

But let the other Divas tell us why they just love this guy!

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