Wood Pigeons, Auckland City

[Jim Kirker]

Is anyone else seeing these ? Seven since May, near Newmarket Park and in Epsom.

[RussCannings]

Hi Jim,
I'm not an Aucklander but I see NZ Pigs most times I visit friends in Mt Albert.

Russ C

[Jim Kirker]

Thanks Russ, good to know this. The Mt Albert area looks like a NZ Pigeon desert on ebird ! Peter Kyne reported one in Western Springs the same day Nat saw three near Newmarket Park. I haven't noticed them in Auckland City before or heard of any and suspect there are more around than there used to be.

[RussCannings]

I guess I had better be more diligent with my urban ebirding in future!

Russ C
Cambridge, NZ

[Okuralass]

May not quite qualify as Auckland City but lots of Kereru around Browns Bay (and tui).

[Steps]

Get a couple fly thry our place in Sth Auckland ( right in urban area) Also have resident an tails and seems a couple tui have now moved in some months back.. think they roost in the cabbage tree or the totara. And a kaka a while back in the puriri tree

[David Riddell]

Stayed with friends in Western Springs last night and asked them about this - they say precious few around them, but they often see pigeons out Epsom way and around Mt Eden, especially at the gardens, and have done for years - they're not sure there's been a recent increase. They're not really birders, but take an interest. My daughter lived on Milton Rd, off Dominion Rd near the Mt Eden end, for about 18 months up until about a year ago, and sometimes got them in the large puriri and karaka trees in her garden.

[harryhatman]

I have seen them a few times in the city flying over. Once last year I even saw them feeding by my house in newmarket just between broadway roundabout and the olympic pools.

[ThomasBirder]

I've seen one flying overhead in Kohimarama in the Eastern Suburbs, also lots of tui.

[Jim Kirker]

I've seen several over the past year, mainly in the Parnell, Epsom, Remuera area and in Wattle bay. Those first ones in June last year were a surprise, but now they are quite familiar. I've lived in Auckland on and off since the 1950s and I'm sure they are more common now than they used to be. There was a pair recently feeding on japanese privet berries in Wairua reserve by traffic-heavy Remuera road. On the ebird map, they are mainly reported in or near bush often by the coast. I suspect they travel along bush clad gullies to bush remnants and reserves with berry bushes and trees and young leaves and shoots.