The Tūī

The tūī is a native New Zealand bird with beautiful iridescent feathers. They look black from a distance, but in sunlight their feathers shine blue, green, and purple. They have a white tuft on their throat, making them easy to recognise. You will often know a tūī is nearby before even seeing it, because they are loud and sing beautiful and complex songs.

They are crucial pollinators in New Zealand. With their long, strong beaks they feed on the nectar of flowers of native plants such as harakeke (flax), kōwhai, and pōhutukawa. They then transfer pollen on their beaks to other flowers on nearby plants, while searching for more nectar. This helps the flowers make seeds, which can grow into new plants and trees in the future.

People keen to attract tūī to their garden should plant native plants that tūī like to drink nectar from. Not only will they hear the tūī’s beautiful songs, but they will also be supporting New Zealand’s nature and wildlife.

Click here to listen to a tūī singing.