![]() Occasionally, kererū gorge so heavily on ripe fruit that they become very full or drunk – as the fruit ferments inside them in the hot sun, they have been known to fall out of trees. When fruit and flowers are not available, kererū will eat the leaves of trees such as kōwhai, tree lucerne, broom, willow, elm and poplar. Our native species have evolved so that they can safely eat plants that others would find poisonous, for example, native bees are not harmed when they collect honeydew from tutu. Dog owners have been warned to keep a close eye on their dogs to ensure they do not eat the berries, as this can be fatal. Specific ways to keep wildlife safe while with your dog on beaches.Though the orange karaka berries are a major food source for kererū, the fresh kernels contain the alkaloid karakin, which is highly toxic to other animals. Learn about the Lead the Way programme which encourages dog owners to become wildlife wise and know how to act to protect coastal wildlife.Get your dog trained in avian awareness.Notify DOC if you see wildlife being harassed by people or dogs.If you come across wildlife put your dog on a lead and lead it away.Only take dogs to areas that allow them, and keep them under control.Check for pests if visiting pest-free islands.Do not drive on riverbeds, or keep to formed tracks if you have to.Follow the water care code and local navigation bylaws.Avoid leaving old fishing lines in the water.Use available access ways to get to the beach.Visiting parks, beaches, rivers, and lakes See Predator Free 2050 Trust - get involved for information. Find and volunteer with your local community group.Tree lucerne is useful in the short-term as it flowers prolifically in winter and grows quickly for a long-term solution, plant miro, titoki, tawa, fuchsia, kōwhai, five-finger, pate, pigeonwood, taraire, puriri and wineberry.įind more ways to get involved by visiting these websites:Ĭall 0800 DOC HOT ( 0800 362 468) immediately if you see anyone catching, harming or killing native wildlife. Consider planting trees to feed the kererū.If you find an occupied nest and trapping/poisoning is not an option, band the tree and interconnecting trees to exclude predators. Control predators by trapping or poisoning.There are lots of ways you can protect kererū in your region: In Northland, we have been working with local iwi to help stop illegal poaching of the kūkupa by educating young Māori about the disastrous effect this is having on the birds' survival rate. We are also involved in educating the public about the plight of the New Zealand pigeon and encouraging local initiatives to save it. These assist the recovery of kererū by killing the predators that prey on their eggs and chicks. By controlling rats and possums, kererū populations can increase by 50 percent in two years. The Department of Conservation carries out large-scale pest control operations. In Northland, the kūkupa is in danger of becoming locally extinct through the combined effects of predation, competition and continued hunting. ![]() Research by the Department of Conservation, Landcare Research, universities and other groups has found that the species is unlikely to cope with hunting pressure. Forest clearance and poaching are also threats to its survival. Possums also compete with adult kererū for food (leaves, flowers, fruit) and devastate trees by consuming new shoots. Rats, stoats, cats and possums eat their eggs and young stoats and cats will also attack and kill adult kererū. Recent studies in several parts of the country have found that many nests produce no chicks at all. The most serious threat to the kererū comes from predators. That decline has been offset due to recovery on predator-free offshore islands, or from large-scale recovery at sites with widespread pest control, particularly near large urban centres.Īlthough the kererū was traditionally hunted for its meat and feathers, hunting of the bird is now illegal. Nationally, the kererū population is considered to be stable but its numbers are gradually declining in areas where predation and illegal hunting are unchecked. The disappearance of these birds could be a disaster for the regeneration of our native forests. Since the extinction of the moa, the kererū and parea are now the only bird species that are big enough to swallow large fruit, such as those of karaka, miro, tawa and taraire, and disperse the seed over long distances. Chicks are fed "pigeon milk", a protein-rich milky secretion from the walls of the parents' crops, mixed with fruit pulp.
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