Pukeko are widely distributed throughout New Zealand. They, unlike many other native birds, have benefited from the clearance of land for agriculture. They do however often cause hassle to cultivators, as they feed on, uproot, and damage their crops.

You can find pukeko in a range of habitats, but mostly around wet, marshy, swampy areas, feeding on raupo and rushes and other shoots, stems and leaves. They are well adapted for feeding on shoots and grasses, with their long toes holding the vegetation while feeding. Although primarily vegetarian, they are not strictly so – they also feed on invertebrates and can at times take larger prey.

Pukeko can have a complex social structure, living in large social groups, with a shared breeding and feeding territory. Here birds will lay eggs in a shared nest, and the young reared by the community. Once past the juvenile stage, there are few natural predators controlling pukeko populations, which means in some places they can be considered pests.

You can always have a pukeko in your garden with a Blazen.Metal pukeko bang’n bird – choose from traditional, koru or raupo inlay. 25% off for the month of June.

Bibliography

Dey, C.; Jamieson, I. 2013 [updated 2017]. Pukeko. In Miskelly, C.M. (ed.) New Zealand Birds Online. www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz

Moon, G. (2002). A Photographic Guide to Birds of New Zealand. Auckland: New Holland Publishers.

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