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Kereru
Rehabilitation Moore's Bush
Restoration
Quarantine
Island Restoration Wilding Tree
Control
Kereru Rehabilitation
Dunedin has one of the largest urban populations of kereru (New Zealand pigeon, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae). In fact it could be described as the kereru capital of New Zealand! The birds have adapted to city life by foraging in suburban gardens and along the city's town belt and other pockets of native bush.
Unfortunately, urban life also poses many hazards for kereru, with many birds killed or injured each year from collisions with windows or cars, or from predation by cats. A local veterinary nurse, Nik Egerton, began caring for injured kereru in a backyard tin shed, rehabilitating them for release back into the environment. Dunedin Forest and Bird donated funds to secure the shed, which was in danger of blowing away during Dunedin's equinoctial gales. However, the shed was inadequate for the full rehabilitation of the injured birds, which could not regain their full flight capability in such a confined space.
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| Kereru, (New
Zealand Pigeon, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae). Photo: Nik Hurring
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Early in 2003, a financial contribution from the Dr Marjorie Barclay Trust allowed the Dunedin Branch to support the renovation of a facility at the Dunedin Botanic Gardens to a standard in which the injured kereru could be kept. The Branch's donation allowed the former propagation facility to be partially roofed, provided with roosts, and planted out in species that kereru feed on. This facility allowed birds to fully regain their flight capability and thus enabled a 'soft release'. The then Deputy Mayor of Dunedin, Dame Elizabeth Hanan, officially opened the facility in March 2003. Kereru seem to like it - the first three released birds flew away together, but were observed sitting on the roof the following day! The project now operates from an aviary near Green Island.
This project has been the successful outcome of a collaboration between Forest and Bird, Dunedin City Council and the Department of Conservation, all working together to provide Nik with a facility in which to further her work. We also hope that researchers from the Zoology Department at the University of Otago will be able to study the fate of released birds and increase our knowledge of the ecology of urban kereru.
The iconic status of kereru in Dunedin, and the ecological importance of kereru for dispersal of large-fruited native trees, mean that the Branch is very keen to continue supporting this project.
For more information, or if you encounter injured kereru, phone Nik Hurring, 027 201 0262.
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