A tui is one of New Zealand’s most unique looking and sounding birds. These 9 tui facts will teach you about this iconic bird.
The forests of New Zealand are filled with unique plants and animals. On the south island you can wander through magnificent beech forest along crystal clear streams (such as along the Kepler Track or Milford Track). Then on the north island you can walk through coastal forest with its ferns. Those forest come to life thanks to the sounds of the birds. The tui is common throughout the country and makes some truly crazy sounds. I hope you enjoy these tui facts!
9 Tui Facts
The tui is an endemic bird of New Zealand. It is mostly black, although there is some iridescent green/purplish colors mixed in with the black. The easiest way to tell if the bird you’re looking at is a tui is the tuft of white feathers on its throat. It looks almost like a white ball sticking off its throat. Keep in mind though that young birds may not have that tuft of white feathers yet.
The tui is so iconic of New Zealand that there is even a beer named after it.
These birds are very loud and can make a remarkable range of calls. They make a bunch of sounds that don’t sound like a bird should be making them. I have a hard time describing the sound, but others call the sounds whistles, cackles, and gurgles or coughs, grunts, and wheezes. The tui can also mimic other birds, such as the bellbird. Listen to some tui communication calls here. Or listen to some tui territorial calls here.
There are actually two sub species of tui – the NZ tui and the Chatham island tui. The NZ tui is common across the main island and many smaller offshore islands. The Chatham island tui resides on the Chatham islands.
These birds live mainly in forests, but can also be found in areas settled by people.
Tui are acrobatic and loud fliers. You can hear them flapping and flying around in the forest even if you don’t see them. Or you may get to watch their antics as they fly around soaring and swooping. Sometimes they will put on a display where they fly up then dive down with their wings tucked tight to their body.
They are mainly nectar eaters, sipping nectar from flowers. They especially like flax, fuchsia, and pohutukawa among others. However, they do vary their diet throughout the season. They also eat insects (cicadas during the summer) and fruit.
These endemic birds play an important role in the ecology of New Zealand’s forests. Many New Zealand native trees are pollinated by tuis. Additionally, they help to spread the seeds of native trees.
Tui can be very territorial and aggressive. If they are feeding from a tree they may get very vocal and chase away any intruders, including other tui. Or between September and January when the females lay their eggs they will aggressively protect their territory.