Kiwi-Land?

You might be wondering why New Zealand is called "land of the Kiwis." Well, so was I, but I soon discovered the reason. It seems that there are no mammals or rodents native to New Zealand - only birds - and one particular bird unique only the the country of New Zealand is the Kiwi, so New Zealanders prefer to recognize the only animal that didn't come to this land by force by making it the national symbol.

Hence, the Kiwi. This is a strange but unique bird is endangered. Most Kiwi are around the size of a domestic chicken. There are actually five species of Kiwi (see the attached map) which all vary in size slightly. Kiwi are nocturnal, and quite shy. Today they are only seen in captivity. Their closest relative is the ostrich (according to DNA tests). For more information about this incredible bird, see Wikipedia's Kiwi entry.

Other things in New Zealand reflect the affection for this funny national emblem. The New Zealand dollar, or is also called the "kiwi" for slang.

There is also a fruit, native to China called the Kiwi (also called the Chinese Gooseberry). It was named for this funny bird due to its unusual characteristics. It is brown and fuzzy with a juicy green center.