The kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) is a species of pigeon native to New Zealand. Described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789, it is a large, conspicuous pigeon, up to 50 cm (20 in) in length and ranging from 550 to 850 g (19 to 30 oz) in weight, with a white breast and iridescent green–blue plumage. Kererū pairs are monogamous, breeding over successive seasons and remaining together when not breeding. Found in a variety of habitats across the country, the kererū feeds mainly on fruits, as well as on leaves, buds and flowers. Its numbers have declined since European colonisation and the arrival of invasive mammals such as rats, stoats and possums, although its populations have recently increased in suburban habitats. Considered a taonga (cultural treasure) to the Māori people, the kererū was historically a major food source in Māori culture. In 2018, it was designated Bird of the Year by the New Zealand organisation Forest & Bird.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerer%C5%AB
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1674:
Charles II of England signed the Treaty of Westminster to end the Third Anglo-Dutch War, confirming English and Dutch sovereignty over New Netherland and Surinam, respectively. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Dutch_War
1942:
Second World War: In the largest attack mounted by a foreign power against Australia, more than 240 Japanese aircraft bombed Darwin, Northern Territory (pictured). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Darwin
2012:
Forty-four inmates died during a riot at a prison in Apodaca, Mexico. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apodaca_prison_riot
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
rainmaker: 1. Someone or something that causes or attempts to cause rain to fall. 2. An African or Native American medicine man who seeks to induce rain through performing rituals. 3. A person who seeks to induce rainfall through scientific methods, such as cloud seeding. 4. (originally Canada, US, figuratively, informal) A person having the ability to generate business, raise funds, or otherwise engineer success for a company, organization, etc. 5. (baseball, informal) A batted ball that is hit very high into the air. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rainmaker
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Art today can only be revolutionary, that is, it must aspire at the complete and radical reconstruction of society, even if for no other reason than to emancipate intellectual creation from the chains which obstruct it and to allow all mankind to rise to the heights that only geniuses could reach in the past. --André Breton https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Breton
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