Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae

IUCN

Alias：Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae，New Zealand Pigeon

Basic Information

Scientific classification

name：Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae
Aliases：Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae，New Zealand Pigeon
Outline：Landfowl
Family：

Vital signs

length：46-50cm
Weight：600-800g
lifetime：Five to 15 years

Feature

It's a brightly feathered pigeon

Details

The New Zealand Pigeon (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) has three subspecies.

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New Zealand doves often forage in pairs or small groups and often swallow coarse sand, such as small grit and sand, to aid digestion. It mainly eats plant seeds, both native and exotic plants. It feeds mainly on the fruits of large native tree species, such as Lothpine (Prumnopitys ferruginea) and New Zealand chicken pine (Dacrycarpus dacrydioides). However, in winter and spring, when fruit is not available, it is also possible to feed on the leaves, buds and flowers of native and exotic species.

New Zealand pigeon populations in the more tropical northern half of the country have limited breeding periods and can nest and lay eggs almost all year round in these areas as long as there is enough fruit to choose from. There are many tropical tree species missing in the south, and the breeding season in these areas usually occurs between October (early spring) and April (late summer/early fall), depending on how much fruit is available.

New Zealand doves nest in trees, usually laying a single egg, on a simple platform made of a few branches. Both parents incubate for 28-30 days. The parents feed the chicks with secreted milk, and the chicks live in the nest for 36-45 days. During the rich fruit season, New Zealand doves can successfully hatch more than one litter.

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The New Zealand dove was early hunted by Maori and Europeans for its meat and feathers. With deforestation, the number of European settlements has increased dramatically and their numbers have declined. In addition, predators introduced to New Zealand by Europeans, such as stoats, cats, brushtail possums and black rats, all prey on the eggs and young birds of New Zealand pigeon.

In the North Island, the New Zealand dove is in real danger of becoming a regional extinction. A 1993 study showed that the species had declined by 50% in 14 years. While able to live for up to 15 years on offshore islands, on mainland New Zealand life expectancy is only 5-6 years due to predation. New Zealand dove is still affected by habitat loss through the presence of herbivores and the development of agricultural land. New Zealand doves are threatened and the seed dispersal of many native tree species that depend on them and are subsequently regenerated by forests is also at risk.

Listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2016 Red List of Threatened Species ver3.1 - Near Threatened (NT).

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Location

It is found in northern and southern New Zealand and Stewart Island, with named subspecies H. n.ovaeseelandiae found in other offshore islands. The Chatham subspecies (H. N.C. hathamensis) is found only on the Chatham Islands and is also found on the Mangere Islands, having become extinct in the Pitt Island region. A third subspecies, the Norfolk Island subspecies (H. n. spadicea), was once found on Norfolk Island, but is now extinct.
New Zealand doves live in the temperate forests of New Zealand. It lives mainly in forests from Hokuriku to Stewart Island, and ranges from coastal to mountain habitats.

Form

Body length 46-50 cm, weight 600-800 grams. It is a brightly feathered pigeon that is large enough to feed on the fruit of New Zealand's larger tree species. Its upper feathers are iridescent, with dark green, bronze, and purple highlights, and their backs have a slightly grayish green tinge with silvery gray tones. The underbody chest is black, the belly to the rump is white, and the wings have different livid shades. Subadult birds are duller in color than adult birds.