COUNTING ON US: Kiwis are being asked to count kereru - the large and lovely native pigeon that takes the name kukupa in Northland. PHOTO/FILE
COUNTING ON US: Kiwis are being asked to count kereru - the large and lovely native pigeon that takes the name kukupa in Northland. PHOTO/FILE
Anyone seeing kukupa from now until October 5 are asked to log on the Great Kereru Count website at www.kererucount.org.nz to report the whereabouts and what the bird was doing.
If people look out especially for kukupa (kereru) for more than five minutes and don't see any, they are askedto report this, too. Good places to look are gardens, parks, farms and forest areas.
The native New Zealand pigeon plays a crucial role in spreading the seeds of native plants, says the Great Kereru Count event organiser and Kiwi Conservation Club manager Tiff Stewart.
"They are the only bird that can swallow large berries from trees like tawa, puriri, miro and karaka so they play a key role in regenerating our broadleaf forests," Ms Stewart said.
"We're hoping thousands of New Zealanders will get involved to help build a detailed picture of kereru distribution across the country.
"Groups all over New Zealand are holding kukupa (kereru) story times, craft days and other events to celebrate this gorgeous bird. There are lots of resources for this on the Great Kereru Count website".
The citizen science project is organised by Forest and Bird, the Kiwi Conservation Club for children and Kereru Discovery. The information collected will be shared with scientists, local bodies and community groups with an interest in kukupa (kereru).
This is the third year the event has run. Last year 2036 kukupa (kereru) were seen, with the top regions for sightings Auckland (462), Wellington (416) and Dunedin (377).
