15. The tui — a fine songster

Forest and Bird, Volume 14, Issue 3, 1 August 1982, Page 48

15. The tui — a fine songster

By

Avis Acres

WHEN WE moved to Taupo, I planted a flax bush near the kitchen window in the hope it would attract tuis. It grew quickly. After the flowers appeared I looked out each morning hopefully. Perhaps a tui would not notice my young flax bush. One day while I was preparing breakfast I heard a cough followed by a few grunts, a chuckle, then a glorious burst of bird song. My tui had arrived! I peered out of the window. Yes,- there it was, . greedily gorging itself on the nectar from the flax flowers. It paus-

ed occasionally to sing a few barks; :them"returmed." to "the feast. It was far too busy to notice me. Glorious plumage This was the first time I had seen a tui in bright sunlight. Before I had seen it feeding only against a background of foliage, when it appeared as a bluish black bird with a white tuft of throat feathers. Now I was able to see the glorious metallic greens and _ purple, blue, and bronze plumage. Apart from earning the reputation of being our finest

songster, the tul is a remarkably handsome bird. And it? knows it. It is constantly grooming itself and _ takes meticulous care of its appearance from its gleaming head, spotless neck ruffles, and lacy collar to the tip of its shining tail feathers. Master Tui took sole possession of my flax bush and would not share his meals with any other birds. They were all chased away smartly. Unfortunately this is characteristic of the tui. I have often seen a tui installed in one _ large kowhai tree fiercely chasing off any other bird who dared

to come and steal one drop of honey. When the kowhai, pohutukawa, flax, rata, fuchsia, and rewarewa have finished flowering the tui feeds on berries, especially the soft fruit of the kiekie. In winter it feeds on insects. In Taupo the winterflowering red gum is very popular with tuis and_ bellbirds. Rapid flight The tui’s flight is very rapid and undulating. It often flies high above the trees, then swoops down suddenly in a flash. One evening at sunset, during a visit to Kapiti Island, I witnessed a fascinating aerobatic display by several tuis. One by one they soared high into the air, then suddenly closed their wings and plummeted down, almost turning

somersaults, until a few yards from the ground. Then, spreading their wings, they flew. up into (the. air and repeated the performance. When the first bird dropped I thought it had been shot. Obviously they enjoyed their game, as they continued for some time. I have since read reports from other people who have seen this display. Sometimes a tui will fluff out its feathers and appear to be singing at the top of its voice, yet not a sound can be heard by the human ear. Perhaps it is singing a special love song which can be heard only by its mate. Tuls nest between October and January. Their nest is a rough, untidy structure high up in a fork of a tree. Twigs, moss, scales from tree ferns, and feathers are used with a

broad rim or landing platform of stiff twigs. Fiercely protective The brown-spotted pink eggs hatch in 2 weeks. The chicks are fed for 2 weeks with insects and berries in the nest. Their parents are fiercely protective and violently ward off any intruders. The young birds are blackish brown at first, and their white throat feathers do not appear for 6 weeks. Though primarily a bird of the forest, the tui, in its search for food, is becoming more common in_ built-up areas where kowhai, flax, pohutukawa, and flowering gum are flourishing. Let us continue to plant its favourite trees and ensure that our gardens may be enhanced by its presence. pa