Kererū
Hemiphaga novaeseelandiaeBird Songs
Kererū wing beat soundInformation
New Zealand status: Endemic
Conservation status: Not Threatened
Kererū/New Zealand pigeon are commonly seen and heard around Dunedin, with their iconic whooshing wingbeat and smart white "vest" of feathers.
They are a large bird with blue-green upper parts and a purple-bronze iridescence on the neck, mantle and coverts of the wings. The underparts are white and the birds have crimson feet and eyes. Fledglings and juveniles have duller plumage, and often the white chest is smudgy white-grey, and the line between dark and white feathering is ragged.
Kererū/New Zealand pigeon don't usually call or sing, but their wings have a recognisable loud whooshing when in flight. You will see them perched on the tops of trees or powerlines, soaring overhead or swooping low and landing noisily into trees. During breeding time, males will perform bold flight displays.
