Biology of the Kaiteri
Physical traits:
- They have webbed feet, hold their flippers out for balance, waddle, preen with their bill to distribute oil from near the base of their tail, and molt.
- They tend to hold their three fingers together so their hands look like the ends of flippers.
- All Kaiteri see better underwater, are nearsighted on land, and can see in color. They can also see in ultraviolet.
- They recognize each other by their calls.
- They are “two-voiced” and can make two notes at once.
- They secrete salt fluid out through their nose, so they can drink salt water and it doesn’t make them sick.
- They are warm blooded.
- They can sleep with their bill tucked behind their flipper.
- Their internal temperature is 100-102 degree Fahrenheit.
- They don't have teeth, so they can't chew. Instead, they swallow it whole. They can tear food with their bills. Their tongue and palate have stiff spines.
- They can change the shape of the lens of their eyes.
- They can scratch the back of their head with their claws.
- Males are slightly bigger than females.
- Males and females have gender-based speaking patterns.
Health
- The stress hormone is corticosterone in the blood plasma.
- If they get low on calcium, they need to eat mussels and clams.
- They get hyperthermia when they too hot. To avoid overheating, they pant, open out their flippers and separate their feathers.
- They have a relatively flat cornea to minimize optical effects when diving.
- They can see in ultraviolet.
- They have a lower body temperature than most birds.
- They lower their heart rate as they dive.
- Isabelline - Pale plumage, have less melanin and look washed out.
- Leucistic - Yellowish.
- Nestlings don't put oil on their feathers.
- Myoglobin helps them store oxygen in their muscles so they can dive for long times. Nestlings have very little myoglobin, and the amount increases with age. It is in the sarcoplasm, and the serum myoglobin test measures the amount. It transports oxygen from fiber-capillaries and interfaces with mitochondria. It is a pigment similar to hemoglobin, but it carries more oxygen. Myoglobin also stores iron. Anemic Kaiteri have little iron in their red blood cells. They can get iron is blue-green algae and kelp and in supplements.
- Could have thermoregulation problems.
- Bones include the tarsometatarsus, a weight-bearing foot bone, and the humerus, which supports the flipper.
Diseases
Avian malaria - A parasitic blood disease from insect bites.
Bumblefoot disease - If they don't swim enough, they get fat and can get this disease.
Thalassemia - A blood disorder where the body makes an abnormal amount of hemoglobin and results in the destruction of red blood cells, leading to anemia. Requires blood transfusions and folate supplements. If one receives blood transfusions, one doesn't take iron.
Moulting
When Kaiteri molt once a year in March-April, they look at what areas have molted and try to arrange pleasing patterns. They molt first on their stomachs and lastly their heads. They take their morning and evening swim as usual, but during the molting process, they swim in a watersuit. They fast when they begin to molt and are grumpy. (Can also fledge in February-March and fledge in the last half of December and in January).
The Gentoos molt in April and fledge in February-March.
The Rahi molt at home, but the Kahurangi and Potetea aren't necessarily at home when they molt. The Kingi join groups of those also molting.
The first time Kaiteri fledge, it is a major rite. The family goes with the crecheling to buy a special watersuit so they can still swim, and when anyone sees the suit, they know to squawk and flap their wings. The crecheling parades around with the family in the suit, and then they have a party.
Go to top
*Date of discovery.