Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Columbiformes
Family: Columbidae
Genera: Hemiphaga
Species: H. novaeseelandiae
Scientific name: Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Common names: New Zealand wood pigeon, Kereru, kukupa,
It is the largest pigeon in NZ.51 cm, 650 g (mainland); 55 cm, 800 g (Chatham Island).
Its head, throat, upper breast and upperparts metallic green with purplish sheen and bronze reflections, especially around the neck (mainland NZ.), or with an ashy-grey wash (Chatham Island); sharp line separates upper breast from white lower breast, belly and legs.
Its eye is crimson; the bill is red with orangish tip; feet crimson.
Juveniles are similar, but upperparts are duller, smudgy upper breast, dull bill and feet, and often the tail is shorter. In flight, strong steady wing beats, broad rounded wings and long broad tail; noisy swish of wings is distinctive. Its call is a single soft penetrating 'kuu'.
Its habitat is native forests, especially in lowland areas, scrub, forest patches among farmland, rural and city gardens and parks.
Its breeding is variable, depending on availability of ripe fruit; usually Oct-Apr.
Early Maori use to capture and eat this bird but only during the months of May and June to reserve stocks.
The above in information is from http://www.whatbird.co.nz
[http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:OF-NrjWDJU4J:www.kererudiscovery.org.nz/uploaded/Diet-Table_1.doc+maire+tree+species&cd=22&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=nz Native plant species that are known to be eaten by Kererü
]Call of the Wood pigeon
VIDEO
Click photos to enlarge.
Eating Magnola flowers.
=====
=====
Photo showing colour variation between birds
A New Zealand wood wigeons nest high in a tree.
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
