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Story: Large forest birds

Kererū in tree lucerne

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Kererū in tree lucerne

Kererū are large, plump fruit pigeons. While their main foods – especially berries – are found on native forest trees and bushes, they also eat some introduced plant foods. Here in Pigeon Bay on Banks Peninsula, a flock is feeding on tree lucerne flowers and leaf buds. This species flowers in late winter, when other kererū foods are in short supply.

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How to cite this page

Gerard Hutching, Large forest birds – Pigeons – kererū and parea, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/10571/kereru-in-tree-lucerne (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Gerard Hutching, published 1 March 2009, updated 1 August 2023.