Protect our kereru population

Kereru, New Zealand's native wood pigeon. Photo / Matt Leamy Photography

Kereru, New Zealand's native wood pigeon, have exquisite iridescent green and bronze feathers with a white vest and may be found in most lowland native forests.

Their strong wings have a noisy beat which has a distinctive sound in our forests. They are large birds and can weigh up to 650 grams.

Kereru are regularly brought into Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (ARRC) wildlife trust for care of injuries that they sustain when flying into windows. This includes broken wings and collar bones.

Occasionally people bring in orphaned juveniles that staff rear.

Kereru are generally hardy and although it can be difficult to get them to eat in hospital, they usually make good recoveries and can be returned back to the wild.

They eat leaves, buds, flowers and fruits and are the only disperser of large fruits like the karaka and taraire, making them an invaluable link for the regeneration of our native forests and the preservation of our native trees.

Kereru populations in some areas are under threat due to habitat loss, hunting and predation by rats, stoats, cats and possums that may eat their young or eggs.

Possums also compete with kereru for food and devastate forests by consuming new shoots. They are a protected species and may not be hunted.

How you can help:

* Help to control predators by looking after your cat responsibly: feed good quality food, desex and ideally keep them at home.

* Plant native trees for kereru to feed on like miro, titoki, tawa, fuchsia, kōwhai, five-finger, pate, pigeonwood, taraire, puriri, wineberry and tree lucerne and preserve our natural forests.

* Don't hunt kereru.

* If you find an injured bird, call ARRC (07) 578 7054.