New Zealand’s remoteness allowed it to be one of the last large landmasses to be inhabited by humans. The first inhabitants, the Maori, were Polynesian seafarers arriving between 1250 and 1300; Europeans arrived in 1642. The Maori were able to establish a civilization standing apart from other Pacific Polynesian societies.
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Apteryz australis - In proportion to body size, the egg of the common kiwi is the largest of any bird. A mature female will lay an egg weighing an average .45 kilos. This is one quarter of her total body weight. Kiwi eggs have the highest yolk content of any bird. The chick hatching from this rich food source does not need to eat for several days after hatching. One egg is usually laid per breeding cycle and hatches within 63 to 92 days. For the common kiwi, incubation of the egg is a task reserved for the male.
