What is Kererū?
{{Underlinked|date=February 2022}} {{Orphan|date=February 2022}} [[File:Kererū on a rangiora at Zealandia.jpg|thumb]] The '''kererū''' (''Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae'') is the only type of pigeon native to [[New Zealand]]. It is very big and easy to spot, and its wings make a loud sound when it flies. It is the only still-living New Zealand bird which can eat large fruits whole, and so is important for spreading the seeds of many native trees. Kererū were an important type of food for [[Māori people|Māori]]. There are much fewer kererū now than before the Europeans arrived in New Zealand, mostly because the Europeans brought meat-eating animals like cats, ferrets, stoats, possums, and rats, and cut down a lot of the forest. Because there are not many kererū any more, it is against the law to hunt them. == Name == 'Kererū' is the most common name for this bird, but in some parts of the [[North Island]] it is called ''kūkū'' or ''kūkupa.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hemiphaga_novaeseelandiae_-Kapiti_Island-8.jpg|title=New Zealand pigeon|last=Powlesland|first=R.G|origyear=2013|year=2017|website=New Zealand Birds online|access-date=2020-01-27}}</ref> Kererū are also called ''wood pigeon'', but they are a different type of bird to the wood pigeon (''[[Columba palumbus]]'') of the [[Northern Hemisphere]]. == Description == Kererū are big and generally weigh between 550 and 850 grams. They have a white underbelly and dark green/blue head, shoulders, and wings. The green/blue colour is iridescent, meaning it is shiny and shows lots of different blues, greens, and purples in the sunlight. ==References== <references /> [[Category:Birds of New Zealand]] [[Category:Columbiformes]]