This week (the last week of the term!!!) we have been doing a kereru count. A kereru count is when you find lots of information then you go outside for around half an hour and see if you can see a kereru then you record it on a doc or slide or something. You have to say what time you went, how long you went out for and how many kereru you saw and you record it on your doc/slide. We made a report about Kereru using sub-headings. Here is my report.
Kereru
Features
Kereru are large birds. They can measure up to 51cm from tail to beak, and their weight is 650g. They are normally found in forest covered areas. The feathers on their back and head are green, but can look purple in the sunlight. They have white feathers on their chests. They arrived to New Zealand about 1000 years ago. This bird has four names Kereru / Pigeon / Kaka / Kukupa.
Food
Sometimes Kereru has so much ripe fruit that they become drunk. Kereru eat berries, twigs, buds and leaves. Rats, mice, possums and pigs are their naughty naughty predators.
Chicks
When nesting, the Kereru tosses together a nest of twigs and lays just a single egg, which takes 28 days to hatch. The chicks usually leave the nest after 40 days. Both parents take turns sitting on the egg and gathering food. Pigeon chicks are fed on a fruit smoothy mixture that helps them grow fast.
Habitat
Kereru are only found in New Zealand, which means they are endemic. You can spot them in forests, parks, reserves and gardens all over New Zealand, but they are most common in the forests of Northland.
