The Department of Conservation is welcoming the sentencing of Sonny Tau for shooting five endangered kereru.

The Ngapuhi leader will serve three months of community detention, including a night-time curfew, for initially lying about who shot the birds.

He will also been ordered to pay more than $24,000, covering fines and the cost of the DOC investigation.

Operations deputy general Mike Slater said the sentence sends a strong message that killing protected native wildlife is unacceptable.

He said the poaching of kereru puts extra pressure on a species already under threat from pests and loss of forest habitat.