Kereru & Habitat Double Sided Puzzle (2 puzzles in 1)
Below information is printed on the back of the tray for your reference:
Aotearoa/NZ native pigeon, the Kereru is a large bird and can measure up to 51cm and weigh about 650gm making it one of the heaviest birds in New Zealand and the largest pigeon in the world. Kereru produce food for its chick, a type of secretion called “crop milk” and unlike most birds, can drink without raising its head to swallow. The loud swooshing flight of the Kereru is unmistakable when they pass nearby and tend to crash land rather loudly when they land in a tree often giving away their arrival. Kereru eats leaves, buds and flowers. They are a long lived bird and breed slowly.
Berries are the Kereru’s favourite food and are found in forests from Northland to Stewart Island, ranging in habitats from coastal to mountainous regions and will also frequent parks and gardens to source their food.
About Pigeon ‘Milk’
The pigeon is one of only three bird species (the others being Flamingos and Emperor Penguins) to produce a milk-like substance to feed their young. The crop in most species of birds is normally used as a food storage area. It is located between the oesophagus and the top of a bird’s stomach where food is moistened before further breakdown and digestion. In pigeons the milk starts to be produced in the crop of the parent birds two days before eggs hatch. During ‘lactation’, a curd-like substance is created from fat-filled cells that line the crop and regurgitated to feed the young. They are fed the ‘milk’ until they are around 10 days old. Once the young are weaned the ‘milk’ stops being produced.