New Zealand Pigeon
A species of New Zealand Pigeons, Also known as Wood Pigeon, Kererū Scientific name : Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae Genus : New Zealand Pigeons
New Zealand Pigeon, A species of New Zealand Pigeons
Also known as:
Wood Pigeon, Kererū
Botanical name: Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Genus: New Zealand Pigeons
Content
Description People often ask General Info
Photo By Francesco Veronesi , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Description
The new Zealand Pigeon is actually the only New Zealand pigeon that is endemic to the mainland. Quiet and solitary, when it flies, the loud sound of its wings beating will catch your attention. The new Zealand Pigeon has been called the country’s drunkest bird due to its taste for fermented fruit.
Size
50 - 51 cm
Life Expectancy
21 years
Feeding Habits
New Zealand Pigeon sustains mainly on fruits from native trees, occasionally consuming leaves, flowers, and buds. Their diet shifts seasonally with fruit availability, and leaves can predominate when fruits are scarce. They favor kowhai, tree lucerne, willow, elm, and poplar foliage.
Habitat
New Zealand Pigeon typically resides in areas abundant in mixed podocarp-broadleaf forests, characterized by a complex structure and lush plant diversity. While these birds prefer lowland native forests, they are also known to inhabit altitudes up to 1100 meters. Although present in logged forests, their populations are notably higher in untouched woodlands. Apart from natural forests, new Zealand Pigeon adapts to human-modified landscapes, including parks and gardens with fruit-bearing trees, as well as plantations with non-native species like Populus, Ulmus, Salix, Prunus, Pinus, and Pseudotsuga.
Dite type
Frugivorous
People often ask
General Info
Distribution Area
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.
Species Status
Pigeon populations are under threat from hunting, habitat degradation, and poor reproductive success. 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. The bird is fully protected under the 1953 Wildlife Act and there have been prosecutions for shooting it.
Photo By Francesco Veronesi , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Pigeons and doves Family
Dove Genus
New Zealand Pigeons Species
New Zealand Pigeon