🐣A female brown kiwi hatched at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Jan. 9! Her egg pipped very late on Jan. 8 and she kicked her way out of her egg a short time later. She is growing and doing well. Kiwi are independent from birth and are fully developed when they hatch--though they are not ready to breed until they are about two years old. Kiwi usually mate for life and this female will be paired with a male when she is older. #WeSaveSpecies | Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conserv

Kiwi have a sensory organ at the tips of their bills that helps them detect vibrations in the soil—or in this case our newest chick inspect a keeper. #WeSaveSpecies | Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute