Welcome to Project Kereru!

"Dedicated to the Rehabilitation and Release of the New Zealand Native Pigeon"

Project Kereru is a voluntary community based Conservation Project that is helping to change the fate of sick and injured Kereru in Dunedin and surrounding areas. We work alongside the Wildlife Hospital Dunedin.

We are supported by Dunedin Forest and Bird through their Dr Marjorie Barclay Trust funds and the Department of Conservation.

The Kereru is one of New Zealand's iconic species and much reduced in abundance due to habitat loss, and predation by introduced species. Under Department of Conservation's threat classification scheme, Kereru were considered chronically threatened with a classification of Gradual Decline - this means that they were at risk of extinction but were buffered slightly by either a large population total or a slow rate of decline. However, since 2008 the DOC threat or conservation status of the kereru has been ‘not threatened’.

Each and every year we care for many sick and injured Kereru. Many have been injured through impact injuries - usually from flying into windows others have lost their parent and cannot fend for themselves.

We are committed to helping Kereru.

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”— Jane Goodall