Loves young dream, pigeon style

These two wood pigeons (Maori name: kereru) were feeding each other tasty new shoots from one of the trees in the botanic gardens. They've obviously learned these are good to eat, as they are not native trees, and they are native birds!

Big birds with small heads, they often seem clumsy as they crash through the trees, they have a huge part to play in the regeneration of native forests, many trees' seeds don't grow without going through a pigeon's gut first.

They are attractive birds with their white breasts and pastel iridescent feathers. They eat leaves, buds and berries and are reasonably widespread, but as with most native birds that were once very plentiful are now endangered.

They usually seem to be on their own, and I've never seen two feeding each other as thee were before. Obviously spring has sprung!