Kererū can measure up to 51cm (21") from tail to beak, and weigh about 650g (1.5lb). Chicks are fed "pigeon milk", a protein-rich milky secretion from the walls of the parents' crops, mixed with fruit pulp.
Since the extinction of the Moa, the Kererū and are now the only bird species that are big enough to swallow large fruit, such as those of karaka, miro, tawa and taraire, and disperse the seed over long distances. The disappearance of these birds could be a disaster for the regeneration of our NZ forests.
Nationally, the Kererū population is considered to be stable, but its numbers are gradually declining in areas where predation and illegal hunting are unchecked. That decline has been offset due to recovery on predator-free offshore islands, or from large-scale recovery at sites with widespread pest control, particularly near large urban centres. Although the Kererū was traditionally hunted for its meat and feathers, hunting of the bird is now illegal.
The most serious threat to the Kererū comes from predators. Recent studies in several parts of the country have found that many nests produce no fledglings at all. Rats, stoats, cats and possums eat their eggs and nestlings; stoats and cats will also attack and kill adult Kererū.
Like many NZ natives, the Kererū inhabit thick dark bush, and while they are relatively placid - as the biggest bush birds they are not threatened by other native animals - their location makes them inherently challenging to photograph because of the very dim conditions and the obstructing vegetation. Between a long focal length and open aperture, the depth of field is razor thin.
