The Kereru

Kia ora,

Did you know that the Kereru, also known as the wood pigeon, is endemic to NZ midland. Endemic means that a thing is regularly found in a certain area.


The Kereru is very important because they can swallow big seeds that most birds can't, which help's spread the native trees.


The Kereru has a variety of different colours ranging from metallic green to bronze. They have a big white chest which is a cool feature to their colourful feathers.


I also learnt that a Kereru can live up to 21 years but lately they have been living only for five years.  This is due to an increase in hazards  such as flying into car windows and pests.

The main pests for the Kereru are Rats, Stoats, Cats and Possums because they eat the Kereru’s eggs.   Stoats and Cats will  also attack and kill the Kereru itself.


Doing this research has made me think more about the threat Cats pose to Kereru. My next steps would be to investigate what kinds of threats Cats pose.


Ma te wa

New zealand native bush scavenger hunt

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