Do New Zealanders eat kiwi birds?

Luckily for kiwi, New Zealand is rich in worms, with 178 native and 14 exotic species to choose from. Kiwi also eat berries, seeds and some leaves. Species include totara, hinau, miro and various coprosma and hebe. The kiwi’s diet is closely related to its breeding success – the birds need to build up large reserves to get through the breeding season. read more

Kiwis that eat enough moist foods, such as earthworms and berries, get all the water they need from these foods and do not need to drink. When kiwis do drink water, they do so by scooping up water in their beaks and then tipping their heads back to flush the water down their throats. Kiwi birds are native to Australia and New Zealand. read more

The kiwi has since become the most well-known national symbol for New Zealand, and the bird is prominent in the coat of arms, crests and badges of many New Zealand cities, clubs and organisations; at the national level, the red silhouette of a kiwi is in the centre of the roundel of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. read more