The New Zealand Tui Bird
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The New Zealand Tui - A Native Honeyeater With A Unique Voice
The tui is a well known and wonderful endemic New Zealand bird.
It is somewhat larger than a blackbird, and if seated on my shoulder would have its head level with the top of mine. They are rather common around the house, as we live in the Waitakere Ranges and overlooking a small reserve.
I have gathered together photos and videos, and oddities and anecdotes, as I can, to try and convey some of the charm of this bird.
If you do nothing else here.... listen to one of the recordings of a tui singing.
Feel free to leave comments, and questions!
"Under its throat hang two little tufts of snow-white feathers, called poies, which being the Otaheitean word for ear-rings, occasioned our giving that name to the bird; which is not more remarkable for the beauty of its plumage than the sweetness of its note. The flesh is also most delicious and was the greatest luxury the wood afforded us".Captain Cook while at Dusky Sound on his second voyage; 1773
(The white throat feathers are currently known as throat tufts, or pois)
Tui painting on DeviantART
This and the Next Pages
Introducing the Tui
The Tui In Maori Mythology
Guestbook and The Tui NZ Culture: Cross-stitch, artwork, songs and literature
Table of Contents: Page One
Introducing the Tui Bird
How To Make Your Own Tui Feeder
Attracting Tuis To Your Garden
The Tui's Song
Selected recordings of the tui singing.
I know most conservation centres and tourist shops in New Zealand stock some fantastic New Zealand birdsong CDs and that there had to be some online - andI was right. take a moment to listen to these recordings, the clarity is far better than the videos further down.
Each track costs $0.99 (the end of the song box seems to get cut-off a lot!)
(You may have to wait - they don't always load straight away, but a menu should appear on the left)
Birdsong in Nature
*need to write more here. I've added this because I thought the book was worth pointing out, and to remind me to actually add more on this topic.
Nature's Music: The Science of Birdsong
Amazon Price: $80.65 (as of 06/03/2012)
Photos of Tuis
Tuis I've photographed around the Waitakeres
This tui is feeding on Japanese (or taiwanese) cherry blossoms, outside of a local school. I used this photograph as a reference for the tui painting you can see on this page.
Have you ever heard of the Tui?
Tui Birds, Wellington Botanic Gardens by abercot
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You will almost certainly see a tui, though. Not only are they distinctive, but their population is rapidly recovering. So tell me... did you know they existed?
No, I haven't.
cffutah says:
Not yet.
I says:
I hope I see one someday.
aesta1 says:
I have to admit, this is the first time I've heard of it being a bird.
Mita says:
My husband calls me Tui Tui for over 4 years but both of us came to know about the actual meaning of this word today !!!!
sukkran says:
this is the first time
Yes, I have!
ferginarg says:
My parents live on the West Coast of the South Island and Tui's are one of visitors they. Iove their song, they're great little singers :-)
Churchmouse says:
Yes - I grew up in the centre of the North Island and they were common. But now in Christchurch not so. I am trying to grow native shrubs and trees that attract them .
Kiwitea says:
Yes we many visit our garden.
Question: can Tui have orange beaks? One that visits us appears to have an orange beak9 could be pollen but looks like its the whole beak.
SoundFinance says:
I live in Christchurch and was only just reading in the paper today that they are beeding at the moment and getting a little bit aggressive as a result! Such gorgeous birds...
kiwi says:
of course i have im kiwi bro!
Can Tuis Be White?
A rare white tui, photographed by Mandy Hague
Albinism and Leucism and Pale Beauty
While tui are normally dark coloured, very rarely white ones do occur. This female was photographed by the artist Mandy Hague near Opotiki. It was considered bad luck by the Maori to see a white tui.
More photos of the white tui are here
Where is Opotiki?
Opotiki is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Opotiki District Council and comes under the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
Tame Tui Feeding
Tuis are often quite fearless around humans.
For more information about setting up Tui Feeders, visit jHow To Make A Tui Feeder.
What's In A Name?
The Naming of the Tui
European settlers named it the 'Parson Bird' after its distinctive white collar tuft,
Like many birds, the Tui has gone by various names, throughout history: poe, bee-eater, New Zealand creeper, koko, mocking bird, Tui cravate-frisée, Pájaro Sacerdote ...
but the name that stuck is the easier, more musical 'tui'- pronounced Too-ee.
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Meliphagidae
Genera: Prosthermadera
Species: novaeseelandiae
Sub Species: novaeseelandiae, chathamensis
The Tui's latin name is Prosthermadera novaeseelandiae previously Merops novaeseelandiae Gmelin, 1788, Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand.
'Tui' is from the maori language and means:
The Maori tribes were many and scattered, and had different names for many species.
Life History and Habitat
New Zealand Bird Websites
- New Zealand Birds | Birds | Gallery | Tui, Prosthermadera novaeseelandiae
- Tui, Prosthermadera novaeseelandiae, found in New Zealand Birds' bird gallery section, includes general information about the bird, taxonomy, description, where to find them and other useful and interesting information. The bird gallery links to in-depth descriptions of most New Zealand birds.
- Tui: New Zealand native land birds
- T%u016B%u012B are unique (endemic) to New Zealand and belong to the honeyeater family, which means they feed mainly on nectar from flowers of native plants.
The DoC - Department of Conservation - is responsible for managing and preserving native species through reserves, pest eradication, breeding programmes and education. While underfunded and not always able to be scientifically systematic, they are experts when it comes to land species (although the marine side of conservation is sadly neglected).
A Bit Of Background: New Zealand
Lonely Planet Travel Guide
Native New Zealand Tui by TheArtsOfCarolynC
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Lonely Planet New Zealand
Amazon Price: $16.18 (as of 06/03/2012)
List Price: $24.99
There are probably countries you can visit without a Lonely Planet Guide. New Zealand is not one of these countries.The way to enjoy New Zealand is to travel from place to place and not to pre-book everything ( you are too dependent on the weather to do that and also it takes away the feeling of freedom this country has to offer). The more flexible you want to be on a trip the more important it is to have a good guide. We arrived in Auckland with only a general idea what we wanted to do in our three weeks and we found that we left all other guidebooks in the suitcase and relied exclusively on the Lonely Planet to plan our trip. The guide contains all necessary information and is surprisingly up to date. The most important is that it is not a commercial tourism promoter but that it gives you an honest impression on what there is that you can do.
E.G. it was pretty clear after reading the relevant chapters that for our
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Sing Out or Read on!
Leave a comment here, or keep reading about the tui!
Bird - Tui by Skiforek
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Next Pages...
The Tui In Maori Mythology
Guestbook and The Tui NZ Culture: Cross-stitch, artwork, songs and literature
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poissonenciel
Apr 17, 2012 @ 1:18 pm | delete
- Lovely; Thank you for sharing.
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ferginarg
Mar 18, 2012 @ 5:49 am | delete
- I didn't know Captain Cook ate them, what a rotter! Great lens, I love Tui's and other NZ natives
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Michey Mar 8, 2012 @ 10:30 pm | delete
- I like that you put maps as well, love the lens
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cffutah
Jan 30, 2012 @ 10:45 pm | delete
- enjoyed the read on this, I love all kinds of birds and where they come from.
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Wordwinder
Dec 5, 2011 @ 9:31 am | delete
- Got to know a new fellow creature. Loved it. Thanks for the introduction.
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The Tui In Maori Mythology
The mythology and belief system of the Maori people featured the native birds very prominently, and their presence was part of the process of adaptation from the original polynesian stories. It was hunted, especially for feasts and special occasions by the Maori. European settlers made pies and used their skins in ladies' hats. Both cultures occasionally trained them to speak, and kept them as pets. More recently, this bird is protected and thriving.Next and Last Pages...
Introducing the Tui
Guestbook and The Tui NZ Culture: Cross-stitch, artwork, songs and literature
Table of Contents: Page Two
Table of Contents: The Tui In Maori Mythology
- Photos of the Tui
- Tui Postcards
- Can Tuis Be White?
- The Tui In Maori Mythology
- Maori Mythology - appearances of the Tui
- Tui Myths and Legends
- Matoka-rau-taawhiri
- Tane-miti-rangi, Tamaoho's Tui Bird and other Talking Tuis
- Woof Woof - The Talking Tui
- The Tui's Welcome Speech
- How the Kiwi Lost his Wings
- People Talk About The Tui
- Share Your Story
Maori Mythology - appearances of the Tui
History, Culture and Beliefs
Maori Mythology - appearances of the TuiFor such a well known and respected bird, I could find very little in the way of myths and was forced to resort to searching through books in the library. While most birds have well established origin myths, and roles in famous stories - the fantail guiding, the Kea stealing fire, the Kiwi - the tui usually turns up only as a meal. What examples I have found are described below.
Tui Myths and Legends
Excerpts from books.
Hatupatu and the Bird Woman
What was going to happen to him? Hatupatu wondered. Why ahd she thrown him into this cage wth all these birds? What were they doing here? He looked around. There were seven kereru, eight kaka, five tui and six plump piopio. A pipiwharaura hovered close by, above the cage.
from Myths and Legends of Aotearoa retold by Annie Rae Te Ake Ake
Iwi-katere - Owner of a wise bird
Tui were often kept in cages an taught words and songs. Long ago, at Te Wairoa on the east coast, a rangatira named Iwi-katere owned a pet tui, called Tane-miti-rangi, which he taught ritual chants of every kind. The bird became so knowledgeable that it recited all the chants at the rituals performed at harvest time.
One year a neighbouring rangatira, Tamatera, sent a messenger to ask if the bird could recite the chants for his kumara-harvesting ceremony. Iwi-katere replied that Tamatera could borrow the tui, but that first it would have to officiate at his own ceremony. Tamatera regarded this as an insult and that night he sent the messenger back to steal the bird.
As the thief approached the house, the tui awoke and called to Iwi-katere, 'I'm being carried off, carried off by a thief, wake up!'
But Iwi-katere slept on, and the thief got away with the bird. Next morning Iwi-katere listened in vain for the accustomed sound of his tui's voice as it spoke to the people. He wept for his bird, and knowing that Tamatera had stolen it, he raised an army.
In the end the thief's people were defeated and migrated from Te Wairoa to Heretaunga (Hawke's Bay). Their descendants are still there and Iwi-katere's descendents are still at Te Wairoa.
The following myth has two variants, in one Tane is the protagonist, the other it is Rupe. It tells of how the tui came to the land of Aotearoa.
Rehua: A great rangatira in the sky
[...] the visitor is shocked when Rehua prepares a meal for him by untying his long hair and shaking into a vessel the birds that haven been feeding on the lice on his head. When these birds - they are tui - are cooked by his attendants, and palced before them, neither Rupe nor Tane will touch them, because they have fed on the lice that have fed on Rehua's tapu head. Tane, however, recieves permission from Rehua to take the birds down to the earth below, and he is told how to snare them. As well he takes the trees with thefruits on which the birds feed: and so we now haves birds and forests.
from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Maori Myth and Legend retold by Margaret Orbell
Pronunciation is phonetic (as written). The one tricky bit is the 'wh' which is meant to be a very breathy wwhh (think 'hwich') but is easier just to use 'f'. So Whakapapa (genealogy/family) is pronounced 'Ffakapapa'
Te Wairoa is pronounced 'teh why-row-ah'
pipiwharaura - Shining Bronze Cuckoo (pee-pee-fah-rou-rah )
Piopio - extinct New Zealand thrush
rangatira - hereditary Maori chieftain
kumara - type of potato
tapu - sacred
Tane - God of the forests (Tah-ney)
Rehua - sacred man in the highest skies (also Betelguese, Sirius, Antares) Sometimes associated with the sun.
Matoka-rau-taawhiri
In Which They Try And Eat Tui Again
*Tiki And Tui At Taratara* Black Hoodie by diconnolly
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When Matoka-rau-tawhiri was pregnant, she had a craving to eat the flesh of a tui bird, and asked Wahieroa to catch one. Wahieroa did so. It was cooked and she ate it with relish. Some time later she asked him to bring her another. Wahieroa went into the forest with his slave, but could not find any tui.
The two men went further and further into the forest, until they came to the hunting grounds of Matuku-tangotango, who killed Wahieroa and captured his slave. Shortly after Wahieroa had been killed, Matoka-rau-tawhiri gave birth to a son, named Rata (Reed 1963:178).
Tane-miti-rangi, Tamaoho's Tui Bird and other Talking Tuis
The tui that started the wars of Te Wairoa
Talking tuis were much prized. They were taught speeches to welcome visitors to the marae, such as the one from Sir George Grey's Poetry of New Zealanders
A small waterfall near the Waikato railway named "Te Ako-o-te-tui-a-Tamaoho" ("The Teaching of Tamaoho's Tui Bird") The story here is that this is where Tamaoho took his pet to teach it how to talk. Maori believe that tuis learn best within the sound a small waterfall, with the steady noise of the water would create a sound barrier. This meant that the bird only heard the teacher's voice.
Tane-miti-rangi was one such legendary tui.
It was not long before a cause of quarrel arose between these people and that section of the Ngai-Tauira who lived at the Huru-mua pa, under the chief Iwi-katea. This hapu owned a very remarkable bird-a tui-known by the name of Tane-miti-rangi, who is said to have possessed more than human intelligence, for it could not only repeat the most powerful karakias, but also bewitch anyone to order. For these reasons the bird was greatly coveted, and therefore stolen by Te Ngarengare.
When the Ngai-Tauira discovered their loss they pursued the offenders, and overtook them at Turi-roa; but it would have been better for them had they not done so, for Te Ngarengare turned upon them and slew them at that place. This defeat compelled the Ngai-Tauira to call upon Rakai-p%u0101ka for assistance, and he, nothing loth to interfere in the affairs of the Wairoa people, made short work of the offenders, and drove the survivors to Hawke's Bay, where they amalgamated with the people of that district, and are now counted among the ancestors of Te Hapuku and other chiefs.
From The Maori tribes of the East Coast of New Zealand: Part IV, by W.E. Gudgeon
Sculpture: Tane-miti-rangi by Todd Cooper Ngati Kahungunu
More here
Follow the Tribes...
Tui bird by Jupigio
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Henry Stowell
Te Wairoa, also known as The Buried Village is located close to the shore of Lake Tarawera in New Zealand's North Island. It was a Maori and European settlement where visitors would stay on their way to visit the Pink and White Terraces. The village was destroyed by the eruption of the volcano Mount Tarawera on June 10, 1886. 100 people died in the eruption, many of them in other villages closer to the volcano.
Hawke's Bay (Maori: Heretaunga) is a region of New Zealand. Hawke's Bay is recognised on the world stage for its award-winning wines. The regional council sits in both the cities of Napier and Hastings.
Te Wairoa and Hawke's Bay
Woof Woof - The Talking Tui
Woof Woof is a permanent resident at the Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre in New Zealand. I saw him when I was on a camping trip around New Zealand with my family, when I was about thirteen years old.
The Tui's Welcome Speech
The speech the Maori taught Tuis
Ko Tu Koe?
Ko Rongo koe?
Ko te manuwhiri.
Nau mai!
Moemoetia mai te kuri.
Haere mai te manuwhiri!
No runga te manuwhiri?
No raro te manuwhiri?
No te ti?
No te ta?
No waka i-o-i?
Tupu wananga!
Ki Hawaiki!
E roro!
Ki-tahi! Ka tu kë! He!
Ko wai-wai?
Korero-rero!
Ka kore-kore te toki!
Te Whare-pa-tahi!
Te Whare-pa-rua!
Te huia te rangiora.
E roro ki waho.
Ko Tu koe?
Ko Rongo koe?
Ko tënei te manuwhiri!
Nau mai!
Kahore te kai i te kainga.
E Rongo!
E Rongo!
E Rongo! Maru! Awa!
He aha te ta
Ka timu te tai.
Nga tai o te tu!
Ko waka rara.
No tau na.
Ma nga wai
E tari taua.
E tai.
Homai te wai.
Ka hi te kai.
Ka whakarere te kai.
E kai!
Ari nui!
Ari roa!
Ari manawa-nawa!
E Titi-rau-ma-ewa!
E to kai moana!
E roro ki waho!
Art thou Tu?
Art thou Rongo?
It is the guest.
Welcome!
Sleep with the dog.
Welcome to the guest!
From the south is the guest?
From the north is the guest?
From somewhere?
From anywhere?
Perhaps he has come by canoe?
Ah! They speak now in oracles!
About Hawaiki!
What wonderful lore and knowledge!
An apt proverb! It stands apart! O joy!
Who can he be who is speaking?
Speak on!
What a tongue to be sure!
Te Whare-pa-tahi!
A second Te Whare-pa-tahi!
A recital of the divine history of man.
Impart thy lore to me.
Art thou Tu?
Art thou Rongo?
This is the guest!
Welcome!
There is no food in the village.
E Rongo!
E Rongo!
E Rongo! Maru! Awa!
How fareth the tide?
The tide is ebbing.
Tides which provide abundance of food!
Yonder are the canoes.
Which secure food during the year round.
The waters
Bear us two along.
O tide.
Give us of your waters.
We fish the foods.
Abundantly, even to wasting it.
Eat of it then!
It is plenteous!
It is lasting!
It causes anxiety.
Thanks to the female sea deity!
Thanks for thy sea-foods!
Impart thy lore to me!
How the Kiwi Lost his Wings
Another Maori Legend
Aotearoa in Summer by LemurKat
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One day, Tanemahuta was walking through the forest. He looked up at his children reaching for the sky and he noticed that they were starting to sicken, as bugs were eating them.
He talked to his brother, Tanehokahoka, who called all of his children, the birds of the air together.
Tanemahuta spoke to them.
"Something is eating my children, the trees. I need one of you to come down from the forest roof and live on the floor, so that my children can be saved, and your home can be saved. Who will come?"
All was quiet, and not a bird spoke.
Tanehokahoka turned to Tui.
"E Tui, will you come down from the forest roof?"
Tui looked up at the trees and saw the sun filtering through the leaves. Tui looked down at the forest floor and saw the cold, dark earth and shuddered.
"Kao, Tanehokahoka, for it is too dark and I am afraid of the dark."
Tanehokahoka turned to Pukeko...
Read the rest of How the Kiwi Lost his Wings or watch it performed at Kelvin Road Primary School, below.
People Talk About The Tui
....but does the Tui Talk Back?
"How eloquent he is; he has the throat of a Tui".
- Tui one of world's most intelligent birds
- By Alex Bourn An Auckland study into the native call of the tui has revealed its song ranks as one the bird-world's most complex. New research places the tui amongst a handful of intelligent birds that can produce more than 300 songs, with some singing ...
- Suburban walk: Hillsborough loop
- Up the hill and along the avenue of Cornwall Park, bird watching, or counting, begins in earnest. I see tui in the big trees and blackbird and thrush scavenging below. Sparrows hang round the picnic tables and the chooks that roam the park are as ...
- Predators beware
- CITY BIRD: More native birds are set to descend on Hamilton when the next stage of Hamilton Halo gets underway. Metro possums and ship rats are in for a hammering when pest control ramps up in Hamilton. The development comes after the number of tui ...
- The way to win a bird is through its stomach
- Feeding birds is a simple way to increase the number of birds visiting in the garden. A regular supply of suitable food helps birds, particularly in winter when their natural resources can be reduced. Tui Wild Bird Seed Mix is a nutritious seed blend ...
Share Your Story
Have you ever met a tui?
Next and Last Pages...
Introducing the Tui
Guestbook and The Tui NZ Culture: Cross-stitch, artwork, songs and literature
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sukkran Apr 1, 2011 @ 1:22 am | delete
- great lens. info and pics about tui are really interesting. ~blessed~
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ONZAMAP
Apr 25, 2010 @ 10:34 pm | delete
- Nice lens...loved the picture of the albino tui. They really are one of my favourite birds here in NZ...
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Pukeko
Feb 16, 2010 @ 1:10 am | delete
- I just stopped back to visit this fabulous lens on the beautiful Tui. I tweeted about it too.
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Pukeko
Dec 29, 2009 @ 8:05 am | delete
- I learnt a lot here. Well done. Blessed.
I didn't know there were white Tuis.
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ElizabethJeanAllen
Dec 10, 2009 @ 6:47 pm | delete
- Awesome lens!
I love watching the birds.
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Table of Contents: Page Three
The Tui in New Zealand Culture
- Photos of the Tui
- Tui Postcards
- Can Tuis Be White?
- What does the word tui mean to you?
- The Tui in New Zealand Culture
- Spot the Tui!
- New Zealand Artwork: Local Tui Prints
- Tui Artwork
- Tui Cross Stitch Pattern
- The Tui's Song
- Songs About Tuis
- Tui Bird by Aaron Burdett
- Tui Folksongs
- The Tui in Literature
- Yet more tui photos!
- Personal Encounters: Of Cats and Tuis
- Cats and birds...
- Tuis in the News
- More New Zealand Birds
- Flying Through… Winged Things
- Guestbook
What does the word tui mean to you?
How many things are called Tui?
The Tui in New Zealand Culture
The Tui Has An Important Role In New Zealand Culture
From appearing on early coinage, to tattoos
to stories, stuffed toys, Maori mythology and literature, this highly recognisable bird appears everywhere!
Spot the Tui!
Can you identify the Tui below?
(not a member and want to play? join now!)
New Zealand Artwork: Local Tui Prints
New Zealand Art prints and posters by NZ Artists - NZ Fine Prints
If you're looking for beautiful original art, New Zealand Fine Prints is a locally based print on demand site that stocks art from local New Zealand artists. Here are some of my favourite Tui prints.
The Tui by Joseph Pang
Tui on Rata by Jeanette Blackburn
Yeah Right by Weston Frizzell
Tui 2 Canvas Art Print by Rae West
Tui Artwork
Paintings and Drawings of the Tui
Tui Bird feeding On Cherry Blossoms - Poster by Flynn_the_Cat
Browse other Tui Posters
And some more amazing art - from digital design, to traditional painting: 
And a tui-inspired little dragon!
Tui Cross Stitch Pattern
All Proceeds Go to Support Happy PAWS Haven
All funds are used to support the no-kill, no-kennel companion animal shelter, Happy Paws Haven. Please bid generously to help abandoned, abused, and neglected dogs and cats to have a new life!
The Tui's Song
The tui has the most distinctive song in the New Zealand bush - it is an artful mimic, as demonstrated above, by Woof Woof and has approprated the liquid beauty of the bellbird, as well as incorporatng noises from its environment.
This bird has two voiceboxes and is capable of an enormous range and variety.
"much of the Tui's singing we cannot hear, the notes too high, I suppose, for our human ears, for I have often watched the bird's throat from but a few yards distance swelling with song entirely inaudible."
Guthrie-Smith, New Zealand ornithologist (1861-1940)
Songs About Tuis
Nevertheless, I have scoured the hundreds of false positives (tui turns up in a lot of languages!) found this peaceful song from a little known songwriter, guitarist and singer, Aaron Burdett.
Tui Bird by Aaron Burdett
Tui Folksongs
Tuis in the Kowhai Tree
Our Homeland Aotearoa: The Tui in the Kowhai
Words A. G. Hall, 1920s. Music "Pretty Caroline", traditional
When the Tui sits in the Kowhai tree
and the sun tips the mountain tops with gold
when the Rata blooms in the forest glade,
and the hills glow with sunny tints untold.
I love to roam through bush and fern
and hear the Bellbird sing
and feel the touch of the wind on my face
while the joy in my heart does ring.
There are some who long for coral sands
and some for wind-swept plains
while others roam the ocean wide
then pine for home again.
But give to me the care-free life
by mountain, lake or shore
of the lovely land of the Long White Cloud,
Our Homeland Aotearoa.
The Kowhai and the Tui
Words Edgar Brewster, music Nettie Brewster, 1950s
- How glorious is the Kowhai
Our springtime's golden shower
The brightest promise of July
New Zealand's national flower
Then rapidly does the Tui
The Kowhai nectar sip
Call, chuckle and flit with glee
And into each flower dip
How handsome is our Parson bird
With his tufted white cravat
Clear as a bell his notes are heard
For his mate to answer back
Each year we watch our Kowhai tree
And as the buds appear
Our hearts are glad that soon there'll be
A Tui's call to hear
You can download the guitar chords and learn about the history of these songs at
NEW ZEALAND
FO LKSONG
Notes: The Kowhai tree is a yellow flowering bottlebrush tree, which the tui feeds on.Aotearoa is the 'official' maori name for New Zealand.
Kowhai is a maori word, and the correct pronunciation of the 'wh' is closer to 'f' - so kowhai is pronounced cow-fye
The Tui in Literature
Poetry and Prose
Suppose, sweet eyes, you went into a distant country
Where these young islands are nothing but a word;
Suppose you never came back again by Terawhiti:
Would you remember and be faithful to your bird?
And when they boasted there of thrushes, larks and linnets,
Would you hold up a stubborn little hand,
And say: "Not so! I know a sweeter singer
Than any bird that cries across your land!"
Would you, remembering, tell them of the Tui?
Wild, wild and blinding in its wildest note.
They - they never heard him, swinging on a flax-flower,
Mad with the honey and the noon in his throat.
They say that in the old days stately rangatiras
Slit his tongue, and made him speak instead of sing;
We would rather see him shining and gold-dusted,
From a morning kowhai flinging wide the spring.
So, my little sweet eyes, if you go a-sailing
Out beyond Pencarrow, and come not again,
Hold unto the southlands in the pure October,
When the Tui's sweetness ripples through the rain.
- Eileen Duggan
Yet more tui photos!
Tuis from Flickr
If you have tui photos you're willing for me to copy/link to, let me know? In the meantime, here are a few more sets, for my own sake and yours. I'll sort out something prettier when i have time and my head isn't killing me.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allanahk/sets/72157622526288113/
and my favourite: http://www.flickr.com/photos/allanahk/4039460406/in/set-72157622526288113/
Fantastic tui tattoos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/k_reinholt/277839036/ (my favourite)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ouchiscool/3079000321/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ouchiscool/3034304176/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ouchiscool/2393377509/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ouchiscool/2488443267/
Tui taking off
http://www.flickr.com/photos/godefroy/3062153359/in/set-72157594300450229/
in
http://www.flickr.com/photos/godefroy/sets/72157594300450229/
Tui in flight
http://www.flickr.com/photos/33852082@N00/3198171095/
Personal Encounters: Of Cats and Tuis
The Tui has done quite well for itself, moreso now the bush is coming back in places, and it dominates over most birdlife. Cats, however... well, I can personally attest to cats being well able to catch Tuis. Read on for my story...
(disclaimer: if the tuis died, it wasn't while I was waching)
The first occasion was in summer, a few years back - 2004, perhaps. We'd been noticing a particularly bold bird creeping lower and lower as he sang, trying to claim the entire garden, so it was probably quite predictable that the cats should take in interest...
As we sat around the dinner table, finishing off our dinner, the cat shot through, with something large and squawking!
The father leaps up and follows her onto the deck and grabs her - but isn't sure how to make her let go of the tui (it's usually my job, as I'm the one she brings things to... there's a trick to it - you hold their head and put pressure on the jaw joint, and this forces them to let go). So he calls for water.
So my sister throws the jug from the table over him.
Needless to say, it stuck in my memory! ^_^
The second tale is more recent, and I, being in a somewhat dramatic mood, wrote an account of it at the time...
Today, this evening, during the daylight hours, my father called out to me to come up into the kitchen and see the present that was left for me.
By my cat.
And truly, it was my cat, for he had seen her do it, and therefore no t'other cat, what he had not seen do it, and this concludes with the result of it being a gift for me, and me alone.
From my cat.
And so, bravely, boldly, walk I up the stairs and stroll into the kitchen, there to see a dark and huddled pile. For truly, it was a tui, lying forlorn on the floor (that I had mopped but yesterday). And all around I did note marks, and was fearful that they might be bloodstains (for then, I would have to mop the floor again).
But bending down to check, I mde two discoveries. The first? My cat, under the table, clearly considered her duty done, now I was here and was of herself most proud. Evinced she no further interest in the unmoving bird. Secondly, 'twere only marks of mud, doubtless from my brother's mud clad feet - that boy is shocking, never takes his shoes off.
The cat accounted for, turned I then to the feathered corpse and considered it. Having a certain distaste for the floppiness of them, I fetched out newspaper from the recycling, and bent down that I might push and slide the piece about until the bird did lie sufficiently upon the paper enough that I might lift it and carry forth the little wobbly corpse without it falling off again. But lo! For as I carefully this bird examined, noted I a certain movement of the chest, a pulsing of the claw, a brightness to the eye! The damn thing was still alive! And now? Now must I cast it out into the bush to die of shock, where the cats might not discover it again and bring back the gift that has somehow mysteriously wandered away, despite them being most careful to place it right there were we could see it, safely within the house.
And my sister is decrying the horror and disgust, summed up in "oh no" and "ew", while my father muttered most stormily in the next room - where his eyes might not by the sight of the poor feathered victim be afflicted. And as I slide the fold of paper (a weekend section, thick and mostly boring, quite suited to the carrying of corpses, a grey and ad-ridden hearse), why, as I slide the fold of paper, what shoudd happen, but that the bird does raise its head, and with a bright and beady gleam of feathers, twist and grasp upon my hand with long toes of surprising grip (considering its apparent faintness of but a moment previous).
And rise I then to a standing pose, a handsome honeyeater upon my hand perched, and walk across to the door outside, and from the deck, I let it fly...
And at my feet my cat purrs, and then wants a hug.
Personal observation, Dec. 16th, 2008
New Zealand Birds
Amazon Price: $8.00 (as of 06/03/2012)
List Price:
A very handy and accurate little book, easily slipped into a pocket, and full of beautiful photographs.
Cats and birds...
What do you think?
Most cats hunt birds, and in many countries, while startling for a suddenly-awakened owner, this isn't quite the ecological risk it is in places like New Zealand, which has a very vulnerable and endangered birdlife.
Cats hunting birds is...
Just one of those things you put up with.
Greekgeek says:
Moggies in places where they're non-native is definitely a problem, but ditto for a lot of other introduced species -- including us! I think the answer is to raise awareness, put bells on moggies, encourage spay and neuter programs, and keep 'em indoors or on walled patios. I don't know how feasible that is, but I don't think eliminating cats is feasible.
susannaduffy says:
My cats have always been locked inside from dusk to mid-morning, always had bells and I have possum-shield guards on my trees to keep the cats from climbing. They would still occasionally bring down a bird or run down a lizard. I'm sorry about this, but I can't part with the last remaining moggy
A good reason not to keep cats,
wilddove6 says:
As a wildlife rehabilitator, I can sadly attest to the devastating effects of pet cats on wild birds. I'm not against people having cats, but there has been a lot of education and promotion of cats being kept as strictly indoor pets, (or having access to outdoor, enclosed and comfy runs), rather than being able to "free range" at will. Yet no one seems to heed the message.
Cats also carry the a bacteria in their saliva called "pasteurella" that is lethal to birds...even a small wound from a bite or a nail scratch is likely to kill the bird within 24-48 hours, even if the bird "appears" to be primarily unscathed.
I love cats, but people need to start taking responsibility for what is, the number one killer of songbirds.
Tuis in the News
These Birds Are Famous
- Tui one of world's most intelligent birds
- By Alex Bourn An Auckland study into the native call of the tui has revealed its song ranks as one the bird-world's most complex. New research places the tui amongst a handful of intelligent birds that can produce more than 300 songs, with some singing ...
- Suburban walk: Hillsborough loop
- Up the hill and along the avenue of Cornwall Park, bird watching, or counting, begins in earnest. I see tui in the big trees and blackbird and thrush scavenging below. Sparrows hang round the picnic tables and the chooks that roam the park are as ...
- Predators beware
- CITY BIRD: More native birds are set to descend on Hamilton when the next stage of Hamilton Halo gets underway. Metro possums and ship rats are in for a hammering when pest control ramps up in Hamilton. The development comes after the number of tui ...
- The way to win a bird is through its stomach
- Feeding birds is a simple way to increase the number of birds visiting in the garden. A regular supply of suitable food helps birds, particularly in winter when their natural resources can be reduced. Tui Wild Bird Seed Mix is a nutritious seed blend ...
More New Zealand Birds
Recommended Lenses!
None of the below lenses are by me, but I recommend them all! Feel free to suggest others.
Flying Through… Winged Things
Don't forget the other pages!
The photograph above is actually of the bush in my 'back garden', so to sepak. It's a small reserve, which is one reason I see so many tui.
- Flying Through… Winged Things
- Well, as Susanna recently mentioned I and Pukeko have been made Squidoo Angels (and congratulations to them as well!) I've been slack and used that as an excuse to forget to post, but now I've remembered%u2026 And I thought I'd post about something else with wings. The New Zealand Tui! (Prosthermadera novaeseelandiae)
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ferginarg
Mar 18, 2012 @ 5:58 am | delete
- Great story about the cat, so pleased the Tui made it. Thanks again for an awesome lens.
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cdcraftee
Feb 5, 2012 @ 5:33 pm | delete
- Happy Waitangi Day Flynn - hope you can make the most of the holiday!
Regards from the 'island',
Christine
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Vladi
Jan 2, 2012 @ 12:45 am | delete
- The Tui is certainly an attractive bird but the New Zealand bird I would most love to meet is the Moa. If I travel to Aotearoa can I get one?
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rangiiria
Oct 31, 2011 @ 3:11 pm | delete
- I have revisited your lens a couple of times now. Great lens ;)
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Twmarsh
Sep 20, 2010 @ 4:41 pm | delete
- Wonderfully done and complete, I love the artwork and pictures you have included. I definitely learned a thing or two about the Tui here!
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WordCustard
Jun 18, 2010 @ 9:13 am | delete
- I had never heard of the Tui. Found this very interesting and enjoyed each of these pages. Another ~*~* Angel Blessing *~*~ for you and the New Zealand Tui Bird.
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eclecticeducation
Apr 1, 2010 @ 10:28 am | delete
- Beautiful lens! I had never heard of this bird before. Thank you for sharing! Great lens. Blessed by an Angel.
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Dean_McNamara
Mar 7, 2010 @ 11:26 pm | delete
- Great lens - good to see the land of the kiwi proudly displayed.
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theshedlight
Feb 25, 2010 @ 2:20 pm | delete
- This is a great lens, with just about everything on it! I have a tui feeder ready to go, there's plenty of food around for them at the moment, so I'm patiently waiting for winter!
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Dec 18, 2009 @ 3:42 am | delete
- Thank you for sharing such a beautiful lens...and bird! My son was with me when I play the amazon module and now he keeps asking for the birds:)
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spirituality Nov 25, 2009 @ 1:16 pm | delete
- Great lens, blessed by a squidangel :)
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Flynn_the_Cat
Nov 25, 2009 @ 2:25 pm | delete
- Thank you!
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wilddove6
Nov 8, 2009 @ 8:33 pm | delete
- Absolutely loved your lens! Five stars big time!
One of my dreams is to "bird" New Zealand and you've just given me one more reason to do it!
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wilddove6
Nov 8, 2009 @ 8:33 pm | delete
- Absolutely loved your lens! Five stars big time!
One of my dreams is to "bird" New Zealand and you've just given me one more reason to do it!
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strayspay
Nov 7, 2009 @ 9:57 pm | delete
- Beautiful lens! Very well done and informative - thanks for introducing me to the Tui
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by Flynn_the_Cat
I'm a Marine Biology post-graduate student, digital artist, traditional artist and photographer, obsessive reader, librarian and internet addict.
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