Pamela Moresby
This is the New Zealand Woodpigeon, one of my most favourite birds. It’s the biggest pigeon in the world and it’s size is as big as a large stockpot. It’s a very beautiful bird and a complete vegetarian, but it may eat the odd bug.
It has a distinctive sound as it flies. I’ve seen it in all sorts of places I did not expect to find. It likes berries to eat and sometimes gets drunk on certain berries. Heard stories of the odd drunk Woodpigeon. It eats fruit, Puriri berries, Karaka berries and others.
I’ve found 4 at once in an inner city street in Auckland because there are trees nearby with fruit on it, the puriri tree can only be able to grow if the seed of the puriri goes through the gut of the Woodpigeon first. It’s Maori name is, “Kereru”.
Maoris called it the illegal tegal, i.e., it’s not legal to eat these birds but the Maoris used to eat it. It’s a protected species. If you eat them, there will be none left.
#1 Kereru
#2 Close up of the bird Rescued
It obviously knows we are trying to help. Lyn MacDonald explained many a Woodpigeon fly into a window, get concussed and then they forget how to fly. It takes 6-8 weeks to relearn how to fly. They need a large aviary to do that. I wish I could have one at home but I don't own a large aviary. It was given some pain relief first.
