The Kereru is an indigenous wood pigeon of New Zealand and while it is not rare, it is protected.
There are a few Kereru living around our property and they are very quiet (tame), drinking from birdbaths, perching on wires and feeding in tree lucerne, willow, cherry plumbs and anything that takes their fancy.
Yesterday I was removing weed species from among a (largely) indigenous shrubbery - the worst weeds being blackberry and Muehlenbeckia. Both these weeds are spread by birds and most know about blackberry and its thorny vines. Muehlenbeckia is not so well known. Bellbirds seem to like the small seed which germinates readily. The small wiry seedling grows rapidly and can actually smother some vegetation, much like old man's beard.
As I was working, perched high above me was this Kereru, looking down and seemed to be checking what I was doing. I was quite active using a chainsaw and porter pruners, pulling the vines down from the various trees. The Kereru was not in the slightest bit scared, rather it was curious and whenever I switched off the saw, it would coo at me in the way they do, nodding their heads. The sheep feeding on the other hand, on the bits I threw over the fence took flight whenever I cranked up the saw.
Then I noticed that the big bird was actually feeding on the Muehlenbeckia leaves. I have never seen this before, nor heard of it, which is why I am recording it here.
There was a posting on Youtube where some dropkick Scandinavians shot one of these beautiful birds appearing to be quite enthusiastic about what they had done. These guys were here in NZ to do some shooting and other activities but shooting a Kereru shows no skill at all! You can walk up to them - as close as 3 metres if you are quiet. And they just sit there with a big white belly to aim at.
There is no doubt that Kereru are tasty, I have been a forester for a long time and they were tradition fare of Maori in the past. I find dead ones from time to time because they fly fast and do bump into things viz. out windows. I've never eaten one and the Otago Museum do not want any more examples, so I just give them the dignity of a burial.
There are a few Kereru living around our property and they are very quiet (tame), drinking from birdbaths, perching on wires and feeding in tree lucerne, willow, cherry plumbs and anything that takes their fancy.
Yesterday I was removing weed species from among a (largely) indigenous shrubbery - the worst weeds being blackberry and Muehlenbeckia. Both these weeds are spread by birds and most know about blackberry and its thorny vines. Muehlenbeckia is not so well known. Bellbirds seem to like the small seed which germinates readily. The small wiry seedling grows rapidly and can actually smother some vegetation, much like old man's beard.
As I was working, perched high above me was this Kereru, looking down and seemed to be checking what I was doing. I was quite active using a chainsaw and porter pruners, pulling the vines down from the various trees. The Kereru was not in the slightest bit scared, rather it was curious and whenever I switched off the saw, it would coo at me in the way they do, nodding their heads. The sheep feeding on the other hand, on the bits I threw over the fence took flight whenever I cranked up the saw.
Then I noticed that the big bird was actually feeding on the Muehlenbeckia leaves. I have never seen this before, nor heard of it, which is why I am recording it here.
There was a posting on Youtube where some dropkick Scandinavians shot one of these beautiful birds appearing to be quite enthusiastic about what they had done. These guys were here in NZ to do some shooting and other activities but shooting a Kereru shows no skill at all! You can walk up to them - as close as 3 metres if you are quiet. And they just sit there with a big white belly to aim at.
There is no doubt that Kereru are tasty, I have been a forester for a long time and they were tradition fare of Maori in the past. I find dead ones from time to time because they fly fast and do bump into things viz. out windows. I've never eaten one and the Otago Museum do not want any more examples, so I just give them the dignity of a burial.
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