The New Zealand Native Wood Pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) or Kereru is a large bird at 18 inches (51 cm), It is the largest bird in New Zealand. This bird is purplish green above and white below. The bill is red with an orange tip, and the eyes and feet are also red. The call is a soft "ku."

The favored food of this bird is berries: miro, pigeonwood, puriri, taraire and tawa as well as coprosma, elder, hangehange, kahikatea, karaka, nikau and titoki. It also eats leaves, buds and flowers. The Kereru is one of the main seed dispersers in the area.

The breeding season is from September to February. During this time the birds exhibit spectacular aerial displays. The nest is built of sticks in the fork of a tree. Only one egg is laid. The incubation period is about 30 days. The young fledges at from 30 to 45 days.

The chick (called a squab) feeds on "pigeon milk" for the first week and then later is given regurgitated berries. Fledglings become fully independent about one week after fledging.

This bird is endangered. Causes include habitat loss, predation, competition and illegal hunting. Pedators include rats, stoats, possums, cats and man.

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Order: Columbiformes | Family: Columbidae | Species: Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae

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photo courtesy of Peter LaTourrette