Apteryx mantelli
"Mantel's wingless one"

A ratite dinosaur from the Quaternary period, Apteryx is one of the strangest flightless birds in the world. As its name suggests, Apteryx (called "kiwi" in the language of New Zealand's native Maori) has forelimbs that are reduced to tiny nubs, invisible under it's coat of modified feathers. Oddly enough, the feathers of a kiwi are very hair-like and have two branches- very similar to the feathers of primitive maniraptorans like Sinosauropteryx. Kiwis are unique in other respects as well. They are the only birds with nostrils at the tip of their beaks. A kiwi uses its highly sensitive beak to locate its insect prey, and hunts at night, utilizing its well developed sense of smell over eyesight. Kiwis also lay the largest eggs in proportion to their body of any animal. For more information on kiwis and the conservation of this endangered forest bird, you can visit this site: http://www.kiwirecovery.org.nz/ .