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New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae

The New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) is a bird endemic to New Zealand. Māori call it kererū in most of the country but kūkupa and kūkū in some parts of the North Island, particularly in Northland. Commonly called wood pigeon, they are distinct from the wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) of the Northern Hemisphere, which is a member of a different genus.

The New Zealand Pigeon belongs to the family Columbidae, and the subfamily Treroninae, which is found throughout Southeast Asia, Malaya, Africa and New Zealand. The members of this subfamily feed largely on fruits, mainly drupes.

New Zealand pigeons are members of the pigeon genus Hemiphaga (Bonaparte, 1854), which is endemic to the New Zealand archipelago and Norfolk Island. However recently a Hemiphaga bone was found on Raoul Island. The Chatham pigeon or Chatham Island pigeon (Hemiphaga chathamensis) is traditionally considered a subspecies of the kererū, but is here treated as a separate species.

Distribution and conservation
The population of the New Zealand pigeon declined considerably after the arrival of humans in New Zealand, and this trend continues, especially in the North Island, but they are still relatively common in the west of the South Island and in coastal Otago. They are commonly found in native laurel forests (lowlands in particular), scrub, rural and city gardens and parks.

The introduced Australian common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) and introduced species of rats — mainly the ship or black rat (Rattus rattus) but also the kiore or Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) and brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) — have significantly reduced the amount of fruit available for pigeons and other native birds and also prey on eggs and nestlings.

Pigeon populations are also under threat from hunting, habitat degradation and poor reproductive success. Pigeons were very numerous until about the 1860s and large flocks used to congregate in fruiting trees to feed.

Restrictions on the shooting of pigeons were enacted as early as 1864, with total protection since 1921, although the enforcement against hunting was not consistent. Some Māori protested, claiming a traditional right to hunt the pigeon.

The bird is protected under the Wildlife Act and there have been prosecutions for shooting it.

New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Range map from www.oiseaux.net - Ornithological Portal Oiseaux.net
www.oiseaux.net is one of those MUST visit pages if you're in to bird watching. You can find just about everything there


Description
The New Zealand pigeon is a large, 550–850 grams, arboreal fruit-pigeon found in forests from Northland to Stewart Island/Rakiura, ranging in habitats from coastal to montane. The general morphology is that of a typical pigeon, in that it has a relatively small head, a straight soft-based bill and loosely attached feathers.

It also displays typical pigeon behaviour, which includes drinking by suction, a wing-threat display, hitting with the wing when threatened, a diving display flight, a 'bowing' display, ritualised preening and 'billing' during courtship. New Zealand pigeons build flimsy, shallow, twiggy nests and feed crop milk to hatchlings.

The mainland New Zealand pigeon grows to some 51 centimetres in length and 650 grams in weight, compared to 55 centimetres and 800 grams for the Chatham Island variant. The head, throat and wings are generally a shiny green-purple colour, but with a bronze tinge to the feathers.

The breast is typically white and the bill red with an orange-ish tip. The feet and eyes are red. Juveniles have a similar colouration but are generally paler with dull colours for the beak, eyes and feet and a shorter tail.

The New Zealand pigeons make occasional soft coo sounds (hence the onomatopoeic names), and their wings make a very distinctive "whooshing" sound as they fly. The bird's flight is also very distinctive. Birds will often ascend slowly before making impressively steep parabolic dives; it is thought that this behaviour is often associated with nesting, or nest failure.

Listen to the New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū
A bird singing four times



Taxonomy
As generally accepted, there are three subspecies of New Zealand pigeon; of these, only two survive: Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae novaseelandiae of mainland New Zealand and Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae chathamensis of the Chatham Islands. The other subspecies, Norfolk pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae spadicea) of Norfolk Island, is now extinct. The subspecies differ in their plumage colour and physical morphology.

In 2001, it was proposed that Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae chathamensis, the Chatham pigeon, was distinct enough to be raised to full species status, H. chathamensis, instead of the traditional subspecies status, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae chathamensis. Few authorities outside New Zealand have followed this, with most still considering it a subspecies.

Behaviour

Diet
New Zealand pigeons were once the major dispersers of the seeds of cabbage trees. They eat the small white seeds in autumn and winter. The New Zealand pigeons are commonly regarded as frugivorous, primarily eating fruits from native trees.

They play an important ecological role, as they are the only birds capable of eating the largest native fruits and drupes (those with smallest diameter greater than 1 cm), such as those of the taraire, and thus spreading the seeds intact. While fruit comprises the major part of their diets, the New Zealand pigeon also browses on leaves and buds, especially nitrogen rich foliage during breeding.

One of their favourite leaves to eat is from an introduced plant, the common plum tree. The diet changes seasonally as the availability of fruit changes, and leaves can comprise the major part of the diet at certain times of the year, such as when there is little fruit around.

Breeding
Breeding generally depends on the availability of ripe fruit, which varies seasonally, annually (good years and bad years), and by location. New Zealand pigeons, like other frugivorous pigeons, feed on many species with tropical affinities, including the Lauraceae and Arecaceae which abound in the essentially subtropical forests of northern New Zealand.

They also feed on podocarp species, thought to be relics of the flora of Gondwana, such as miro (Prumnopitys ferruginea) and kahikatea (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides).

In the warmer northern half of the North Island, pigeons can nest all year round, except when moulting between March and May, provided enough fruit is available. Further south fewer subtropical tree species grow and in these areas breeding usually occurs between October (early spring) and April (late summer/early autumn), again depending on fruit availability.

New Zealand pigeons nest in trees, laying a single egg, in a flimsy nest constructed of a few twigs thrown together. The egg is incubated for 28–29 days and the young bird takes another 30–45 days to fledge. In seasons of plentiful fruit the pigeons can successfully nest up to four times.

Conservation status
New Zealand Bellbird, Anthornis melanura
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2016.3. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 1 May 2017



From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

www.birdforum.net


Sighted: 24 October 2017 (Date of first photo that I could use)
Location: Tawharanui Regional Park


New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū - Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Tawharanui Regional Park - 24 October 2017

New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū - Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Tawharanui Regional Park - 24 October 2017

New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū - Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Tawharanui Regional Park - 24 October 2017

New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū - Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Tawharanui Regional Park - 24 October 2017

New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū - Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Tawharanui Regional Park - 24 October 2017

New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū - Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Tawharanui Regional Park - 24 October 2017

New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū - Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae - Tiritiri Matangi Island - 24 October 2017

New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
New Zealand Pigeon or Kererū - Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae - Auckland Domain - 1 November 2017




Bird watching

Going bird watching on New Zealand? I have been to a few places but so far New Zealand is outstanding regarding information on the internet. There are two organizations that are sticking New Zealand flagout so far when it comes to information about birds and wildlife/ outdoor living.
Bird information, bird song and maps. Yes, there are excellent trekking maps online so you can plan, or go back after the trek to see where you have been, excellent. I have not been disappointed.

• New Zealand Birds Online nzbirdsonline.org.nz

• New Zealand's Department of Conservation www.doc.govt.nz Click on “Nature” or just hoover with the mouse over the “Nature”

Many other places I have been to have excellent maps on site, but trying to find them online New Zealand Birds Onlinerendering nothing but disappointments. The New Zealand's Department of Conservation is the ONE STOP ONLY for everything regarding outdoor activities on New Zealand.

New Zealand Birds Online, there is everything you ever wish to know about the birds on New Zealand. Nothing less than fantastic. Click HERE to down load Checklist of the birds of NZ from New Zealand Birds Online web page nzbirdsonline.org.nz

One of the best web pages I have ever seen when it comes to birding. All the information you can ever ask for and a ONE STOP for all your needs before going bird watching on New Zealand. Range maps, sounds, information and bird lists, everything you need.

New Zealand Birds Online

Bird watching

PLEASE! If I have made any mistakes identifying any bird, PLEASE let me know on my guestbook




       
                  



                                       

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