While Dunedin's population of native wood pigeons, or kereru, is considered "fairly healthy", more information on the extent of the birds would be welcomed by the city's kereru rescue project.
Forest and Bird has launched a nationwide survey of kereru and is asking the public to contribute by recording sightings of the birds this week on www.kererucount.org.nz.
Project Kereru spokeswoman Nik Hurring, of Dunedin, said people were always asking about the population status of the bird but its true numbers were not known.
"The more information we can get the better."
So far this year, seven birds had been treated and looked after by Project Kereru after hitting windows and suffering impact injuries and one had been hit by a car, she said.
Kereru Count project co-ordinator Jenny Lynch said the survey would be used to help boost the declining kereru population and preserve the biodiversity of New Zealand forests.
"With that data, we have the potential to link neighbourhoods where kereru are found with existing restoration projects in the area. The projects can help increase numbersof kereru through targetedpredator control and planting food plants for kereru," Ms Lynch said.
Predation and habitat destruction had caused kereru numbers to decrease in recent years.
"They're the only bird that can spread the fruit of larger native trees like tawa, karaka and taraire. Without kereru, those trees won't be able to disperse seeds throughout the forest, and so the biodiversity of forests and even urban areas will decline."
The public were being asked to record on the kereru count website the location, the number spotted, whether the kereru was feeding, and if possible what type of plant on which it was feeding.
