The kiwi is truly an odd bird: a flightless eccentric with stumpy wings and poor eyesight that lays a remarkably large egg. Its feathers resemble a fluffy fur coat, and its piercing call sounds like a piglet's grunt. To keep its balance, it sometimes leans on its beak for support. Perhaps it's precisely because of all these peculiarities that the New Zealanders have taken this adorable bird so deeply into their hearts – and even here, this little lively curiosity is sure to win many admirers.