Kereru

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Kereru he taonga tuku iho
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Kereru Kuku Parea Kukupa
one could see hundreds of birds circling about
over kahikatea trees at Waihara, Waikohu and bush
areas up the Waipaoa from Rangatira to
Mangatu Eldson Best 1870
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Kereru

• Kereru is a forest bird
• Favours lowland forest
• Also found in bush patches on farmland, in
  gardens and in parks in cities. 
• They will move long distances (50-60km) to good
  sources of fruit or foliage

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Berries are the kereru's favourite food
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Berries are the kereru's favourite food

• They like berries all year round
• But berries may not always be available
• Different berries ripen at different times of the
  year
• The amount of fruit produced for any particular
  species can vary greatly from one year to the next

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Probable foods and amounts eaten by kereru
during a year around Whanganui
Fatty fruitsgood kai


Five-finger
Supplejack
Pigeonwood
Tawa

Kanono
Winter
Kahikatea

Miro

Putaputaweta
Hinau
Rimu
Leaves Flowers, e.g. kowhai
Not enough food?
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Kereru

• Can live 10-20 years
• Mature age 1-2 years
• Kereru raise 1 chick per time i.e. 1egg per nest
• Often do not breed in low fruit years
• In abundant food years may nest twice

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Kereru

• Nesting usually occurs in spring or summer (Nov
  Mar) when most fruits are available
• During breeding spectacular aerial displays close
  to the time of egg laying, or when nest fails

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So what?

• Still a few big flocks in localised areas usually
  for specific foods (miro, kowhai) or specific
  areas
• Nationally, population dropping
• Long lived birds so could be looking at an old
  population with few young to carry on the
  whakapapa
• If this continues, local extinction in 50-100
  years e.g. Waikato townships

Why? What is happening to Kereru?
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Whats happening to Kereru? Fewer chicks!
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Whats happening to Kereru? Fewer chicks!
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Whats happening to Kereru? Fewer chicks!
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(No Transcript)
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What have you noticed in your area?

• There are fewer kereru now than my grandparents
  remember
• There is less/ more fruit around this year
• They really like kowhai, miro,
• We see most kereru during winter/ spring/ summer/
  autumn

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So what are people doing to help?

• Reducing numbers of pests (rats, possums, stoats)
  through trapping, bait stations, fencing

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So what are people doing to help?

• Restoring native plant food sources and habitat
  by
• Reducing goat numbers,
• Fencing out cattle,
• Improved farming
• practices
• Reducing pests possums, rats

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So what are people doing to help?

• Restoring native plant food sources and habitat
  by
• Replanting forestsusing kereru preferred
  species
• Riparian plantingwith kererupreferred species

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So what are people doing to help?

• Monitoring kereru populations, nest sites, and
  nesting success

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So what are people doing to help?

• A rahui on kereru/ kukupa/ parea

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Some success stories

• Ngati Hine, Landcare Research, DoC
• Ngai Tahu Banks Peninsula DoC Lincoln
  University
• Pureora Waipapa
• Whanganui area
• Wenderholm
• Trounson
• Boundary Stream

Information provided in leaflets only
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Story 1 Kukupa recovery at Motatau,
Northland 1996-2001

• Who was involved?
• Ngati Hine
• DOC
• Manaaki Whenua

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Kukupa recovery at Motatau

• In 1996 started tracking Kukupa nests
• Vegetation in poor state
• Over 5 years DOC and Ngati Hine trapped possums
  and ship rats

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Kukupa recovery at Motatau

• Ngati Hine fenced off areas from cattle and
  culled goats
• Kevin Prime (Ngati Hine) enforced rahui on
  taking Kukupa/Kereru on his land
• Manaaki Whenua monitored pest numbers, changes
  in vegetation, and Kukupa/Kereru nest success

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Kukupa recovery at Motatau
Forest Vegetation improved
Before
3.5 yrs later
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Kukupa recovery at Motatau
Visitors to Motatau are now seeing flocks of up
to 30 Kukupa flying overhead, where previously it
was rare to see five.
we have seen a real turnaround at Motatau
Kevin Prime, Ngati Hine
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Kukupa recovery at Motatau,
Future

• Expanded restoration area being discussed
• Links several native remnants plus farmland
• Focus on kukupa, kiwi, pateke (teal), tuna,
  koura, plus medicinal plants

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Story 2 Ngai Tahu at Banks Peninsula

• Runanga concern at decreasing Kereru numbers
• Huge forest loss on Banks Peninsula
• Early days just starting project

Rapaki
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Ngai Tahu at Banks Peninsula

• Set up kaupapa kereru group to work on finding
  out kereru story and taking action.
• Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu,
• Scientists,
• Students,
• DOC / Te Papa Atawhai
• Community involvement through schools
• Currently 2 students doing research into Kereru
  movements, diet, mortality, predation

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Ngai Tahu at Banks Peninsula
Te Aris Research

• Using artificial nests to find what is predating
  nests. At this early stage,
• Ship rats and possums look like biggest threat.
• Over half the nests have been predated.

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Ngai Tahu at Banks Peninsula
Te Aris Research

• Radio tagging birdshas started.
• already lost two of our radio-tagged kereru to
  predation.
• found another 7 (not radio tagged) kereru killed
  by a cat or a stoat.

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Ngai Tahu at Banks Peninsula
Future

• Organise pest management
• Involve local residents
• Replant food sources for Kereru
• Work with other groups on the Peninsula

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Story 3Pureora Waipapa

• People discovered that possums, rats and stoats
  reduce numbers of kokako,kaka, robin and
  kereru.
• So these species were intenselymonitored to see
  what would happen when intensive pest control
  was applied.

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Story 3Pureora Waipapa
Pest control

• Rigorous control of possums and rats
• Two aerial 1080 drops (Regional Council to reduce
  possum TB vectors)
• Extensive network of bait-stations on a 150m by
  150m grid, filled 3X over spring/summer
• Bait type changed every year (bait
  shyness/boredom)
• Both ship rats and possums find and eat the baits

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Story 3 Pureora Waipapa
Results

• Estimated up to 3500 kereru in the 1200ha core
  ecological area of Waipapa
• Can see flocks of 200 or more kereru flying
• The number of kereru vary greatly with seasons,
  at Waipapa can see heaps in the autumn. 

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Story 3 Pureora Waipapa
Future

• In the past bait stations filled every year
• Introduce 'pulse management' 1/2 block (1500ha)
  is treated one year other 1/2 following year. 
• Reduce costs, esp. labour costs, maximise area
  receiving pest control.
• Will still allow birds to breed and survive now
  that pest numbers are already low

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Story 3 Pureora Waipapa

• The local iwi Rereahu have been very
  supportive. 

In the last 10 years attitudes have changed from
seeing kuku as food, to delight at spotting 30
sitting in a tree next to the house. It is
great to see my people climbing on the
conservation canoe and paddling in one
direction. Phil Crown, Rereahu
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Story 4 Whanganui Story

• Since 1991, DOC has undertaken survey
• Along a stretch of SH4 the Parapara Highway
• Recorded number of birds seen

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Story 5 Whanganui Story


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Story 5 Whanganui Story



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Story 5 Whanganui Story
What this means if the current decline continues
then in 40 -50 years there may be no
kereru left to visit this area
Our mokopuna will not see kereru !
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Story 5 Whanganui Story
Future

• Continue to do annual count
• Research local food preferences
• Work with local people and schools to increase
  period of observation
• Get overall trend over time
• Involve community to get the line going back up!

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Current threat status

• The current threat status of kereru/kukupa/kuku
  is
• Gradual decline
• apredicted decline of 530 in the total
  population in the next 10 years due to existing
  threats, and the decline is predicted to continue
  beyond 10 years

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New Zealandthreat classification system
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Current threat status
White heron Nationally critical

• 667 species with higherthreat classification
  than kereru
• DOC has mandate to protect all native species
• Has to work on the most threatened species first
• Result unable to dedicate much time or money to
  kereru

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Where to from here

• Kereru need community help to improve their
  survival
• Are there opportunities to work together?
• We are happy to talk to you about your ideas
• We can help with a range of information, funding
  options, some staff time, expertise and help in
  the field

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Ma te huruhuru ka rere te manu
Na tou rourou, na taku rourou ka ora te kereru