Tui - Tūī
Endemic to New Zealand and one of our most iconic birds.
Sitting at over 30cm tall this beautiful, this boisterous bird has iridescent blue/green head and wings and distinctive white neck tufts which originally lead it to be called the Parson Bird by the early settlers. It is endemic to New Zealand and is one of our most iconic birds.
The Tūī is loud and easily recognisable from its call made up of whistles, clicks, coughs and grunts. It is often the first to start singing in the morning and the last to sing at night, it's even known to sing to the moon on a clear moonlit night. They have been found to have different regional accents and are able to imitate the call of every bird in the forest. In the past, the Māori kept them in cages and trained them to repeat welcome speeches up to 70 words long. They even trimmed their brush-like tongue to help them speak more clearly.
The Tūī is very territorial and will defend their turf aggressively chasing away other birds to make sure their food source is safe. And beware, they sometimes swoop down low for fun and drive bomb people.
The Tūī is an important pollinator and seed distributor and plays a major role in restoring and sustaining New Zealand's natural habitat.
Sometimes a Tūī pair will make their nest in a nesting box, however, the box would need to be in a high position. The Kohab Open Birdhouse would be suitable.
What do Tui eat?
The Tūī is part of the honeyeater family which means they mainly drink nectar using their long strong beaks to reach deep down into native flowers. They also love fruit and will happily grab insects for a quick high protein snack too. They will fly long distances to get their favourite meal and once they have found a regular food supply they will become a common visitor.
You can help support the Tūī by planting native nectar providing plants, or plants that support insects. Leaving out fresh fruit for them to feed off will also be much appreciated, or provide them with nectar such as the Kohab Nectar in a Kohab Bird Feeder, they will be attracted by the natural red colour and it will give them an easy meal full of energy and nutritional support.
