Photo of a Kererū with it's mouth full of karaka berry.
Rights: Geoff de Lisle Published 2 February 2014, Updated 14 February 2019 Size: 38 KB Referencing Hub media

The kererū is important in the seed dispersal of large native berries in forest ecosystems. Kererū are the only birds left (all others are now extinct) big enough to swallow the large fruits of the karaka tree.

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    Kererū – our native pigeon

    The kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae), also called kūkū, kūkupa, wood pigeon or simply New Zealand pigeon, is endemic and one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most valuable assets when it comes to ...

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    2. ARTICLE

    Seed dispersal

    Plants make seeds that can grow into new plants, but if the seeds just fall to the ground under the parent plant, they might not get enough sun, water or nutrients from the soil. Because plants ...

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