Why are New Zealand wood pigeons known as ‘the drunkards of the sky’ ?

Pigeons are often said to be able to move and find their way thanks to the Earth’s magnetic field, the position of the Sun and even infrasound waves.

There are many types of pigeons, and they are widely distributed throughout the world. In New Zealand in the Southern Hemisphere, there is a very special species of pigeon, they are called New Zealand wood pigeons.

New Zealand wood pigeons have quite large bodies when compared to their relatives in other places; an adult New Zealand wood pigeon can weigh 650 grams to nearly 1 kg and have a body length of more than 50 meters. cm.

Vì sao loài chim bồ câu gỗ New Zealand được mệnh danh là 'những gã say xỉn trên trời'? - Ảnh 1. — Kereru pigeons are also known as New Zealand wood pigeons. Birds are known as “drunken men in the sky” due to their preference for eating spoiled fruits that have fallen to the ground, leading to dizziness, loss of balance, unsteady movement, and even falling from tree branches. high to the ground.

New Zealand wood pigeons have colorful plumage and look very beautiful. In the past, hunters hunted New Zealand wood pigeons in large numbers for their meat and beautiful plumage. After that, New Zealand passed a law putting wood pigeons on the list of protected wildlife and any killing of them is illegal.

At present, although protected by law, the number of wood pigeons in New Zealand has not increased significantly. On the one hand, it is because New Zealand wood pigeons have weak reproductive ability. Female New Zealand wood pigeons can only lay one egg per breeding session and it takes 28 days for the eggs to hatch under the careful care of the mother bird. After giving birth, young pigeons have to go through a long period of learning before they can live independently without their parents.

Vì sao loài chim bồ câu gỗ New Zealand được mệnh danh là 'những gã say xỉn trên trời'? - Ảnh 2. — In the summer when fruits ripen quickly, local people often discover “drunk” pigeons lying limply on the ground and sometimes they have to take them to the medical center to “decompress”.

On the other hand, New Zealand wood pigeons often put themselves in very dangerous situations when they often get drunk from gluttony. New Zealand wood pigeons often eat fruits, leaves, buds and flowers, etc. They especially like to eat very sweet, spoiled fruits that fall on the ground and like to bask in the sun after eating a full meal.

Under the effect of high temperatures, the fruit in their stomach will ferment quickly. The fermentation process will produce a lot of alcohol, making New Zealand wood pigeons easily “drunk” because alcohol is produced during the process. this program.

Vì sao loài chim bồ câu gỗ New Zealand được mệnh danh là 'những gã say xỉn trên trời'? - Ảnh 3. — Although widely distributed in both forest and urban habitats, the bird’s numbers have declined significantly since European colonization and the arrival of invasive mammals. .

Once drunk, New Zealand wood pigeons will become dizzy, sometimes unable to maintain body stability, they will sway from side to side on tree branches. Local residents often see drunken New Zealand wood pigeons falling from trees to the ground and sleeping on.

This situation is really dangerous. Although local residents will not take advantage of this drunkenness to catch them, feral cats, ferrets, rats and possums will take the opportunity to turn them into prey.

Vì sao loài chim bồ câu gỗ New Zealand được mệnh danh là 'những gã say xỉn trên trời'? - Ảnh 4. — After eating, these pigeons often bask in the sun while digesting their food. This behavior can lead to fermentation of the fruit in the stomach, especially in warm summer weather, and can cause the bird to become intoxicated.

New Zealand and nearby Australia are an incredibly unique place on the planet. The ecosystem on this tectonic plate is different and the food chain here is also very different from other continents.

Originally, the native New Zealand wood pigeons here do not have many natural enemies, so they will not be in any danger if they are often drunk. However, with increased human activity, many animal species from other continents such as wild cats, mink, and rats have set foot on the islands of New Zealand, these invasive species have accidentally become Natural enemies of the New Zealand wood pigeon.

In addition to preying on drunken New Zealand wood pigeons, these natural enemies will also attack newly hatched pigeon chicks and pigeon eggs, posing a serious threat to breeding. of the New Zealand wood pigeon.

Vì sao loài chim bồ câu gỗ New Zealand được mệnh danh là 'những gã say xỉn trên trời'? - Ảnh 5. — New Zealand wood pigeons are mainly frugivorous, preferring native fruits, but also eat leaves, flowers and buds.

In fact, the New Zealand wood pigeon is actually a very important species for maintaining the local ecosystem. We can give an example, New Zealand has a berry called karaka and its trees are an important part of New Zealand’s coastal forests. Because the berries are relatively large in size, normal birds can only peck the berries to eat and cannot help this plant disperse the seeds. However, New Zealand wood pigeons are large in size and can swallow whole fruits and seeds.

After the New Zealand wood pigeon eats the berries, it will excrete the berry seeds on the ground and these seeds will naturally take root and germinate, helping this plant complete its life and reproduction process.