The Life of Animals | Great Spotted Kiwi | Greater Spotted Kiwis once lived in numerous areas throughout the South Island, but Because of predation by invasive species, the remaining kiwis are now restricted to three localities. These kiwi live in higher altitude areas. Great Spotted Kiwis reside in complex, maze-like Burrows That They construct. Up to fifty Burrows can exist in one bird's territory. At most, four to five Kiwis live in a square kilometer. One pair's territory can be 25 hectares (62 acres) in size.
Vocalizations of the Great Spotted Kiwi include growls, hisses, and bill snapping. Great Spotted Kiwi males have a call That resembles a warbling whistle, while the female call is harsh raspy, and also warbling. Great Spotted Kiwis are monogamous with pairs Sometimes lasting twenty years. Nests are made in Burrows. Males reach sexual maturity at 18 months in captivity, while females are Able to lay eggs after three years. Great Spotted Kiwi males chase the females around until females either run off or mate. Females do not eat During this period, as the eggs will from the take up a fourth of a kiwi's body mass. The egg is so large Because the yolk takes up 65% of the egg. In most bird eggs, the yolk takes up about 35 to 40% of the egg. This makes the kiwi egg the largest in proportion to the body.
To relieve the pain, females Soak themselves in puddles They come out of the abdomens Their Burrows by dipping into the puddle. After the female lays the egg, the male incubates the egg while the female guards the nest. The baby kiwi takes 2 to 3 days simply to get out of its egg. Kiwi babies are precocial, and are abandoned by Their parents after Hatching. Great Spotted Kiwis reach full size at six months. Unlike most birds, female Great Spotted Kiwis have two ovaries. Great Spotted Kiwis are distinguishable from other kiwi species by the fact That Produce They can only one egg a year, as it takes so much energy to Produce the massive egg
