It’s a common opinion that Kererū, the New Zealand native wood pigeon, are pretty neat. Their survival is much more crucial than you’d guess from a glance. A resident Kererū left behind a gift in the form of droppings, which were collected and added to seed raising mix with the following outcome:

kereru poo garden
Garry Hockey’s Kererū poo garden – Whiriwhiri

As you can see a multitude of seedlings have sprouted, among them a high proportion of New Zealand natives. The excrement provides an excellent fertiliser for seeds that have passed through the gut to grow with a strong head-start.

Kererū Poo Seeds

The extinction of birds such as the Huia and Piopio means Kererū are the very last of the native birds with a wide gape, large enough to swallow (and thus disperse) seeds of Karaka, Taraire, Puriri and Tawa, among others. Some of these seeds require passage through a bird’s gut in order to germinate properly, if at all. If Kererū were to become extinct, we would also see a massive decline in the natural regeneration of such tree species that rely on these birds.

There are reports of increasing Kererū populations, including flock sizes of up to 21 individuals in the Whakaupoko area. They are also becoming increasingly common in the Ness Valley area, and at the Hunua/Paparimu boundary.

Kererū pair for life, so if you see one, look closely in the surrounding area and see if you can find its mate!

4 replies on “A Pile of Kererū Poo”

  1. We have been delighted to see kereru on our property this year. Very rare before this. We are on the Hunua/Paparimu boundary.

  2. Beautiful signicant majestic native bird just priveleged to see a pair of Kereru fluttering amonst the native bush stopping every now and then to peck on berrys of the puriri and flowering kowhai trees. Spotted them in the Hunuas near the dam at Moumoukai rd while on a field trip with my hort. class.

    1. Beautiful signicant majestic native bird just priveleged to see a pair of Kereru fluttering amonst the native bush stopping every now and then to peck on berrys of the puriri and flowering kowhai trees. Spotted them in the Hunuas near the dam at Moumoukai rd while on a field trip with my hort. class.

Comments are closed.