The New Zealand Pigeon or kereru (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) frequently collides with windows and vehicles. In this study of 146 kereru collected from 1996 to 2009, we used 118 radiographs and 91 necropsies to determine skeletal and soft tissue injuries. Vehicle collisions resulted in more damage to the extremities (wing and femur), whereas collisions with windows resulted in trauma to the head, fractures/dislocations of the coracoids and clavicles, and ruptured internal organs. Soft tissue injuries included damage to the flight muscles and heart ruptures caused by fractured coracoid bones, as well as extensive bruising of pectoral muscles and hemorrhaging of the lungs. Rehabilitation time was not related to number of skeletal injuries sustained, nor was the time until death for those that did not survive. In general, kereru with greater numbers of injuries were less likely to survive rehabilitation. Flight speed and force calculations suggest that a 570-g kereru would collide with 3–70 times the force of smaller birds (5–180 g); this may explain the discrepancies between the injuries characterized here and those reported for North American passerines. The differences in injuries sustained from collisions with windows and cars can be used to inform rehabilitators about the possible nature of injuries if the source of impact is known.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
CONSERVATION MEDICINE|
July 01 2012
IMPACT INJURIES AND PROBABILITY OF SURVIVAL IN A LARGE SEMIURBAN ENDEMIC PIGEON IN NEW ZEALAND, HEMIPHAGA NOVAESEELANDIAE
Rachael A. Cousins;
Rachael A. Cousins
1 Ecology Group, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
Search for other works by this author on:
Phil F. Battley;
Phil F. Battley
1 Ecology Group, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
Search for other works by this author on:
Brett D. Gartrell;
Brett D. Gartrell
4
2 New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre, Institute of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
4 Corresponding author (email: [email protected])
Search for other works by this author on:
Ralph G. Powlesland
Ralph G. Powlesland
3 Research & Development Group, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 10420, Wellington 6143, New Zealand
Search for other works by this author on:
J Wildl Dis (2012) 48 (3): 567–574.
Article history
Received:
August 02 2011
Accepted:
February 16 2012
Citation
Rachael A. Cousins, Phil F. Battley, Brett D. Gartrell, Ralph G. Powlesland; IMPACT INJURIES AND PROBABILITY OF SURVIVAL IN A LARGE SEMIURBAN ENDEMIC PIGEON IN NEW ZEALAND, HEMIPHAGA NOVAESEELANDIAE. J Wildl Dis 1 July 2012; 48 (3): 567–574. doi: https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-48.3.567
Download citation file:
Citing articles via
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus H5N1 in Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritum) of the Chesapeake Bay, USA
Johanna Harvey, Jeffery D. Sullivan, Rebecca L. Poulson, Deborah L. Carter, Cindy P. Driscoll, Peter C. McGowan, Carl R. Callahan, Amy W. O’Donnell, Jennifer M. Mullinax, David E. Stallknecht, Diann J. Prosser
Hematology, Plasma Biochemistry, Protein Electrophoresis, and Pathogen Surveillance in Headstarted and Wild-Reared Populations of Blanding’s Turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) in Three Northern Illinois, USA, Counties
Alexis Davidson, Michelle W. Kendall, Maura Ryan, Kayla Ladez, Samantha Bradley, Carley Lionetto, William Graser, Gary Glowacki, Daniel Thompson, Richard B. King, Callie K. Golba, Kaitlin Moorhead, Laura Adamovicz, Matthew C. Allender
Are Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris) the Family Scapegoats? A Systematic Review of Canine Distemper Virus in African Wildlife, 1978–2021
Shaleen K. S. Angwenyi, Nicola J. Rooney, Mark C. Eisler
Evaluation of RT-QuIC Diagnostic Performance for Chronic Wasting Disease Detection Using Elk (Cervus canadensis) Ear Punches
Damani N. Bryant, Roxanne J. Larsen, Kristin J. Bondo, Andrew S. Norton, Andrew J. Lindbloom, Steven L. Griffin, Peter A. Larsen, Tiffany M. Wolf, Stuart S. Lichtenberg
Serologic Evidence of Exposure to Leishmania infantum in Captive and Free-Ranging European Bison (Bison bonasus) in Poland, 2017–23
Anna Didkowska, Víctor Martín-Santander, Marlena Wojciechowska, Wanda Olech, Krzysztof Anusz, Antonio Fernández, Janine E. Davies, Marta Ruíz de Arcaute, Delia Lacasta, Sergio Villanueva-Saz, Diana Marteles