THE ANIMAL FILES

Kererū

Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae

The menu follows the fruit season—and sometimes switches to leaves.

The kererū is a large New Zealand pigeon with a dark iridescent upper body and sharply contrasting white breast. Its feeding links ripe tree fruits with leaves, buds and flowers as resources change through the year.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Kererū
Image: Charles J. Sharp · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Food
Fruit, leaves, buds and flowers[1]
Flight sound
A characteristic wing whoosh[1]
Clutch
Usually a single egg[1]

Fruit is seasonal

Native-tree fruits are important, but availability varies among places and seasons. When fruit is scarce, leaves and buds can become more prominent. A fruit-eating bird therefore still needs a broader set of plant resources.[1]

Breeding follows food conditions

The timing and frequency of breeding relate to ripe-fruit availability. Warmer northern locations can support a longer breeding period when food permits. A single calendar does not describe every locality.[1]

One egg, shared incubation

Both birds build a twig platform and take turns incubating the single white egg. They also provision the chick. The male’s rising-and-diving display flight belongs to courtship, rather than the routine direct flight between feeding trees.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Does a fruit-heavy diet exclude leaves?

No. Leaves and buds can form a substantial seasonal part of the diet.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why monitor fruit supply during a breeding study?

Reveal the explanation

Food availability helps explain differences in nesting timing and repeated breeding opportunities.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Kererū (fixed revision; adapted and translated)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae (identity and classification)

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

White-tipped doveIts white tail tips are easiest to notice when the bird moves.Leptotila verreauxi ↗Common swiftA nest made with materials caught in mid-air.Apus apus ↗Andean condorA huge bird can travel on rising air.Vultur gryphus ↗