Tui

What is it? What does it look like? Where does it live?

Tūī are native birds to New Zealand. Tūī are easily recognised by their white throat
feathers. They also have brown, and greenish black feathers. They have a curved beak
for eating nectar. Tūī live all over New Zealand, they are found in forests, orchards and
gardens. The Tūī is from the Meliphagidae bird family.

What does it eat?

Tūī eat nectar, fruits, insects and will fly a long distance even in winter to eat their favourite foods like native trees. Some native trees they like are Kōwhai, Puriri, Rewarewa, Kahikatea, Pohutukawa, Rātā and Harakeke.

Reproduction - Who looks after the young?

Tūī make a thick and strong nest using sticks, dry leaves and grasses in the trees.
The female Tūī lays two or three eggs in between September and January. The female
incubates her eggs for 14 days and by then they are hatched. Both of the parents feed
their chicks. The age Tūī  start to breed is normally 2 years old.

Threats - what are their natural threats?

Tūī are known to defend themselves but they can’t defend themselves from some
pests.  Their predators are paihamu (possums) because they eat their eggs, kiore (rats),
toriura (stoats) and tori hura (ferrets) because they eat them, ngeru (feral cats) because
they eat them and eat their eggs, humans are also threats  because we are littering and
they are eating the plastic.