Kererū eat the fruit, leaves, twigs, buds, and shoots of over a hundred native, and fifty exotic, shrubs and trees. Occasionally, they gorge so heavily on ripe fruit that they become drunk and have been known to fall out of trees.
Kererū are very important to the survival of New Zealand forests because they’re the only birds left (all others are now extinct) big enough to swallow the large fruits of native trees such as taraire and karaka.
After dining on fruit, they fly to a favourite roost to digest their meal. When they eventually pass that meal, they leave behind a dropping containing a seed and its very own package of fertiliser. This helps seedlings establish in new areas, and keep forests rejuvenated.
Lovely shot and great info. For a moment it did not sound positive, as I imagined all those naked trees. They sound a bit like our Elephants eating the Amarula fruit. They also get drunk and fall around ;-)
