What Should I Plant for Kererū?
Kererū feeding on loquat fruit
A local resident recently asked us a great question:
"What should I plant if I'd like kererū to visit my garden?"
The short answer is: plant a variety of trees and shrubs that provide them with food throughout the year.
Kererū (our native wood pigeon) are one of New Zealand's most important seed dispersers. They can swallow and spread the seeds of large native trees that few other birds can manage, helping regenerate forests and connect habitats.
When we asked Landcare Research scientist John Innes this question, his answer wasn't a list of favourite trees. Instead, he talked about the importance of providing a variety of food sources through the seasons and recognised that both native and some exotic trees can help birds move through our increasingly fragmented landscapes.
As John Innes puts it, the best tree to plant is one that adds another food source to your neighbourhood and helps connect existing habitat.
Some good options for Tamahere
Native favourites
Kōwhai – a valuable early-season nectar source.
Māhoe and māpou – produce berries enjoyed by kererū and other birds.
Five-finger (whauwhaupaku) – fast-growing and useful in smaller gardens.
Kahikatea, pūriri, tawa and kohekohe – fantastic long-term food sources if you have the space.
Make the most of existing food sources
Some exotic trees and shrubs can provide useful seasonal food, especially while native plantings are still young or where native habitat is patchy.
Many Waikato birds already make good use of gardens, shelterbelts and older fruiting trees. Kererū are often seen feeding on fruit such as loquat, mulberry, plum and cherry, and large mature trees can also provide shelter and stepping stones between native habitats.
That doesn’t mean we’d recommend planting weedy species — and wild seedlings still need managing. But if you already have bird-friendly exotic trees that aren’t causing problems, they may be helping fill seasonal gaps while native trees grow.
Long term, the best approach is to increase native food sources and habitat connections across the neighbourhood.
Think beyond one tree
The best gardens for birds usually have:
a mix of species that fruit or flower at different times of the year
some shelter and larger trees
predator control.
Habitat and predator control really do go hand in hand.
Why it matters in Tamahere
Many of our local gullies still contain mature native trees, and we're fortunate to have kererū, tūī, and increasingly even kākā moving through our area.
Planting a few bird-friendly trees on your property may seem like a small thing, but lots of small actions across many properties help create the connected landscape that native wildlife needs.
We'd love to hear from you
Do you have kererū visiting your property? What are they feeding on?
We're always interested to hear what’s happening locally and learn from what you’re seeing around Tamahere.
Header image by Ray Aucott@rayjo via Unsplash.
