Bill has beaten his pea addiction, got himself a girlfriend and is learning how to be a wild wood pigeon.
The young kereru had a rocky start to life and was brought to Wellington Zoo in September 2013 when he was just a starving chick.
Last year, he was sent to Project Kereru in Dunedin - a rehabilitation centre run by Nik Hurring for injured or starving kereru. His story featured in The Star last year.
During his nine months in Dunedin he has been living off a healthy diet of peas while gradually being trained in the ways of wild pigeons.
Ms Hurring said she did not know how successful Bill's rehabilitation would be when she released him on to a ''safe'' property near Dunedin, two weeks ago.
''He had been in captivity for so long but he deserved a chance ... otherwise it was going to be a life in captivity as an advocacy bird in a zoo somewhere.''
She said Bill had access to peas if he needed them but had only been tempted by them once since he was released.
''He has learnt everything he needed to learn to be a wild kereru - admittedly a wild kereru with an addiction to peas.''
He has teamed up with the first kereru Nik had hand reared - a female she left at the same property in November 2013.
''She is different in colour and slightly smaller and hangs out on her own.
''He has teamed up with her and the two of them are getting around together so she is showing him the ropes.''
Bill might stay put indefinitely but he could also just as easily disappear over winter when food got scarce and pigeons headed deeper into the bush to feed, Ms Hurring said.
- Dan Hutchinson
