Tommy Tui’s Journey
What is a tui?
What to look for
The best way of seeing a tui is to shoot it, with a Canon (or any other camera, of course) so that you can study the ever-changing colour of its plumage. Depending on the light, the tui’s appearance varies from steely inky blue to deep browns. It was once known as the Parson bird because of the layer of white fine feathers that surround its neck and shoulders, and are buttoned up, so to speak, with a brilliant white tuft in the front like a predominant Adams apple.
The tui is larger than a blackbird, and has a bit of a reputation as a territorial bully at times. It is often seen at the top of the highest tree observing its territory, chortling merrily, before giving chase to an unsuspecting neighbour or friend.
They appear fearless in their games of chase with one another, speeding and taking tight turns with whirring wings through trees and shrubs. I have witnessed one fly directly through a large, thick camellia bush flat out without hesitation.
Where to see it
The tui is a native of New Zealand, and enjoys life in scrub, forest and the garden. It is a predominantly nectar-eating bird, although it does supplement its diet by catching and eating insects. It is often seen perched in the pohutukawa trees or the stems of New Zealand flax (as in the photo on this page), its tongue protruding into the flowers. Its love of flowers can also be seen by the yellow pollen often deposited on its beak and forehead.
How common is it?
In recent years there has been an increase in numbers of tuis. I counted a dozen in a kowhai tree in my garden a couple of years ago, although I have not witnessed such a large conference since. I have seen no scientific papers of explanation to explain the increase and proliferation but it would seem reasonable to suggest that one reason is the establishment of wildlife refuges on islands and in parks as well as the efforts to eradicate the possum pests that compete for food and eat eggs. Another major explanation is the maturing of gardens planted over the past 30 years. This has created new food sources and meant that tuis can now feed in gardens the year round without the need to return to forest areas for part of the year.
Recently, controversy rang out in the Wellington suburb of Karori, home of a wildlife sanctuary, where a complaint was received that the tui was becoming a monotoned nuisance with its loud early-morning calls. I would like to remind the complainant that when early sailing ships visited Wellington harbour, the crew would row back to the boat anchored out in the harbour rather than wake to the dawn chorus. I hope that one day I shall be blessed with the same challenge. I know I will not want to share the boat with the resident mentioned ….
May I hasten to add that the observations above are entirely mine; I am neither a botanist nor an ornithologist, so please if you are seriously interested in bird life do use the hundreds of well researched and documented books that are available.
I suggest that you also look at the work of the Department of Conservation and Landcare Research online.