The Importance of Birds as Browsers, Pollinators and Seed Dispersers in New Zealand Forests
New Zealand's forest plants evolved in the absence of mammalian herbivores, but subject to the attentions of a variety of other animals. Insects are and probably were, the primary folivores, but birds may also have been important. Several extinct birds, notably moas (Dinornithidae), were herbivores, and speculation continues about their impact on the vegetation. Among existing forest birds, both kereru (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae) and kokako (Callaeas cinerea) can significantly defoliate plants and may have had a greater impact in the past.