Some rumours have been raised about the behaviour of tui, which has prompted Matt Halstead, Fabiana Kubke and John Montgomery from the University of Auckland to determine whether these rumours are, in fact, correct.
We are calling on New Zealanders of all ages to become citizen scientists for the summer and help us collect the data.
To avoid bias, we cannot say exactly what we are looking at. But, here is what we would like citizen scientists to do:
If you spot a tui in an area where you can find both a tree and a human-built structure (building, house, shed, park bench, etc), we are asking you to tell us where the tui was perched (on the tree, on the house, on the power line, etc), and to give us the date, time and location of the sighting (town, street names, whatever will let us put it on a map). We will also welcome a brief description of the area (what was the human made structure, are there power lines in the area, etc) and you are welcome to send us pictures of the area as well. (If you send us a picture please let us know if we have permission to post it on the web.)
It is important that the sighting happens where there is both a tree and a human made structure and that we know the date, time and the location of the sighting.
Please post the information you gather as a comment on this blog, or you can email us at popscinz[at]gmail.com. You can post as many times as you want!
<added Jan 28 2010> You can also text your information at 021 109 6727 (no voice mail please)
<added Jan 28 2010> You can look at the data on the spreadsheet in google docs. Feel free to analyse, play around and tell us what you think.
Matt Halstead, John Montgomery and Fabiana Kubke will analyse the data and it will all be revealed at the end of the summer or when enough reliable data has been collected.
Thank you for your participation and have fun!
[…] The NZ Tui Project Posted by: kubke | November 26, 2009 […]
By: Become a citizen scientist this summer! « Citizen Science New Zealand on November 26, 2009
at 10:00
Here in Cockle Bay Howick, we constantly have tui in our yard.
With the light rain this morning there were tui bathing in the rain collecting on the leaves of the titoki.
Plenty of early morning tui calls around 4:40am.
By: Dean Camp on December 29, 2009
at 11:31
Tank you Dean, The image of the birds bathing is really beautiful! Please keep letting us know what else you see them doing (and remember to tell us the time!)
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 18:06
I have a tui who sits in my Norfolk pine in Mt Eden Auckland and calls for hours on 2 or 3 notes.
At blossom time there are dozens of tuis going mad over the nectar.
By: Eileen Taylor on December 30, 2009
at 07:55
That is great, thanks Eileen. Please keep us informing when you see them, and if possible provide us with a date and time. Thanks again!
By: kubke on December 30, 2009
at 09:59
Hi Kubke.
Re the beautiful Tui-I live in urban Hastings, Hawke’s bay & I have been getting a buzz from the / a tui in a large mognolia tree at my neighbours. In fact when I haven’t heard it for a while I notice, but after a few days I hear it again. I have been noticing it for 3-4 weeks.
Regards
Annette
By: Annette on June 5, 2010
at 13:27
We have 2 or 3 tui visting everyday. they come to two trees right beside our house one an evergreen magnolia the other possibly bread and butter tree, (it has yellow bottle brush type flowers). I call to them and they seem to listen. They call heaps, usually there in the morning from about 8am till linchtime. We are in Green Island, Dunedin. Just one this morning.
By: Nichola on July 2, 2010
at 14:28
Are you still collecting data? We have lots of tuis on our section. Today I waited under one of our kowhai trees, camera in hand, and discovered that this particular tui wears two bands on his legs, a metal one and a yellow one that appears to be made of plastic.
date: 27 Oct 2011
Time 1:15 pm
Location: 7 Dunstan Grove, Richmond 7020 Nelson.
If you wish I can email you the photos.
By: Ann Braun on October 27, 2011
at 15:03
26/11/09 at 2.14 pm. Two young male Tuis on a cabbage tree (next to power lines) on Rua Road, Glen Eden, Waitakere. Area has reserve with native bush behind and railway corridor in front. They seem to visit daily between midday and 3 pm, and always perch in the cabbage tree or a beach tree in our garden.
By: Helen Baxter on November 26, 2009
at 14:29
Thank you Helen, and welcome as the First (yes First) data entry!!!! (Must think of appropriate reward!)
By: kubke on November 26, 2009
at 14:40
[…] In the future, we hope that schools will take advantage of the site to gather data for science projects, or communities will gather data that they need to put forward to their local councils, and so forth. It is, in itself an experiment, one that we think could be a lot of fun. So visit the site, and if you spot a tui please let us know here! […]
By: [Open] Science Sunday-29.11.09 « Building Blogs of Science on November 29, 2009
at 10:53
Tui woke me up at 5am this morning with its singing! I can’t say for sure that it was in a tree (as I wasn’t about to get up and look!) but sounded like it was coming from the trees outside my bedroom window. This was in Allington Road, Karori, Wellington – our street backs onto the Makara Peak Mountainbike Park, where there is regenerating native forest and pest control happening (Its now a “key native ecosystem” – whatever that means).
By: hilaryml on November 30, 2009
at 12:07
Thanks Hilaryml,
It seems that tui are managing to wake up a lot of wellingtonians at strange hours!
-Kubke
By: kubke on November 30, 2009
at 12:13
People have been tweeting about tui on twitter. @br3nda from Wellington seems to be around tui that are very active at night.
By: kubke on December 2, 2009
at 13:23
@gnat shared his tui spotting through twitter also. He spotted a tui singing in the pohutukawas outside the beehive in Wellington (around 10:00 am on December 2nd)
By: kubke on December 2, 2009
at 13:26
I head plenty of tui over the weekend at the NZ Molecular Ecology meeting (along with Hilaryml actually) but only laid eyes on one. Sitting up in some Kamahi a few metres away from power lines and buildings at Tautuku (about -46.604, 169.436 in digital degrees)
By: david winter on December 3, 2009
at 18:10
That is great David, thanks. By any chance do you remember what time it was (or about)?
By: kubke on December 3, 2009
at 19:33
Oh, right, read the instructions… It was about 7pm.
By: david winter on December 4, 2009
at 10:49
Have heard tui every evening for past week around 7pm. Also seen them sitting on my flax flowers and hopping about during day.
By: Margaret on December 10, 2009
at 22:02
That is great, Margaret. Thanks!
Could you please give us an approximate location so we can try to place it on a map?
Flax flowers! Never saw them there myself!
By: kubke on December 10, 2009
at 22:33
Yesterday morning, 9 am, on the steps between Durham St and Aro St in Aro Valley. The tui was very close to us, sitting on a flax flower, having quick nips of nectar.
By: Helen on December 11, 2009
at 12:18
Thanks Helen!
By: kubke on December 11, 2009
at 12:34
2x tui in large old pines near #53 Balfour St, Vogeltown, Wellington at approx 3:45pm 12 Dec 09. It’s a quiet street with many trees (both native & exotic) and plenty of power lines and other human structures nearby. We see a lot of tui around here now, following all the possum control. We also get kaka in the garden.
By: janisfreegard on December 12, 2009
at 16:25
That is a great description! Thank you so much for that. Plese keep letting us know what you find.
By: kubke on December 12, 2009
at 17:52
@librarykris just sent us more Tui sightings via email. Thanks for the awesome details!
12 December 2009
Tui spotted in pohutuakawa tree in Red Beach
1409 Brief stop
1339 Cabbage tree
1649 – 1749 various tui flying in and out of the tree, jumping from branch to branch eating, occasionally fighting.
By: kubke on December 13, 2009
at 15:19
1 x tui on power lines near #10 Balfour St. Plenty of trees around. Approx 9:15pm 14 Dec 09
By: janisfreegard on December 14, 2009
at 21:41
15dec09 8:18am 1 x tui on power lines near #62 Balfour St, Vogeltown, Wellington (lots of trees around)
8:25am 1 x tui in wattle in Balfour St garden, joined by another tui, then both flew off
8:30am 2x tui on power lines outside #58
16dec09 8:20am 4 x tui on power lines near #58 Balfour St (all in a row, 2 singing). One flew off into a bush, dislodging another tui already in there. Didn’t see where the others flew to.
21dec09 7:55am 1 x tui on power line outside #58 Balfour St.
(It occurs to me you may get some undercounting of tui in trees/bushes as they’re harder to spot – sometimes I haven’t noticed one in there until it’s flown out or I’ve seen a bird in a tree but not clearly enough to tell if it’s a tui or a blackbird – so much easier when they’re on power lines! We’ve had tui singing in the garden for a large part of this evening, but I couldn’t see them – my guess is they’re in native trees, but can’t confirm.)
By: janisfreegard on December 21, 2009
at 22:07
@janisfreegard: That is a great point you raise. My short answer to that would be that if we were trying to measure population densities it might be a major problem. But luckily, we are not!
That is also one of the reasons we are asking for approximate locations of the spottings. we can then go into Google earth or Google maps and get an idea of what the general area looks like.
By: kubke on December 22, 2009
at 14:54
We have Tuis regularly in our back yard. They jump up and down mainly the oak tree I guess looking for sap oozing out of tree. We are in Takapuna, overlooking the city, near the harbour bridge. Cheers
By: Alan MacDonald on December 28, 2009
at 11:28
Thank you ross. Any chance you could give us an approximate time for your sightings? I will enter the data to the worksheet, but it is important for us to have a good time stamp on the sightings.
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 16:07
a Tui perched briefly on a manuka tree at 23 Omiha rd, Rocky Bay, Waiheke – 11:20, 28/12/09.
The property is close to the boundary of Whakanewha Regional Park, and we see tuis here on a daily basis
By: Linda Macdonald on December 28, 2009
at 11:30
Thank you for the data! Nice details too!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 16:13
We’ve got a Tui living in our and neighbors’ backyards. 150-158 (roughly) Parkvale Road, Karori, Wellington.
By: Kai Koenig on December 28, 2009
at 11:34
Thank you Kai. I will enter the observation. If you can, could you provide us with the time/date of when you spot the tui and where it is perched? Thank you!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 16:14
Time/date would be pretty much every day as I work from home and I see him all the time. Most of the time it sits or flys between a few trees in the backyards of 152 and 154.
Since about 2 weeks ago there’s a second one, same trees.
Cheers
Kai
By: Kai Koenig on February 4, 2010
at 08:16
Than you Kai,
Could you give me an approximate geographic location?
By: kubke on February 4, 2010
at 12:25
Since we put out a container of sugar water, we are getting regular visits from several tui’s. We are fairly certain there are at least 3 different birds.
We are on Huntleigh Park Way, Wellington, and back directly onto Huntleigh Park (a conservation area in Ngaio). I have a confirmed sighting 8 Dec’09, at 17:58 (photo to be uploaded)
The bird table is just outside the back door, between the house and a high wooden fence, over hung by a karaka.
The bird(s) arrive in the tree, and will usually warble briefly before hopping onto the perch. Occasionally there will be 2 in the tree, who will then take turns to drink.
By: Vivienne on December 28, 2009
at 11:40
Thanks Vivienne, Those are great details. I am sure you are enjoying the presence of the container as much as the birds do!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 16:23
Hi there:
Do you want all sightings of tuis on our bird table, or are you more interested in different locations?
I have set up a spreadsheet like the one you’ve provided, and have been recording my observations there rather than flooding this site with every glimpse.
BtW I have identified seven tuis coming to drink, based on their cravat and other distinguishing feathers.
By: Vivienne on January 4, 2010
at 12:10
Hi Vivienne,
All sightings are useful for us. It is a great idea that of your spreadsheet! We are extremely grateful, so whichever way is easier for you!
Cheers!
By: kubke on January 5, 2010
at 03:31
Hi there:
I’ve just sent you a spread sheet of over 100 sightings from late December through to mid February. The vast majority of sightings were of birds were visiting, and feeding from the sugar water on our bird table, until we realised we had a family, with possibly 3 fledglings encamped in the karaka tree over hanging the table. After I stopped daily top-ups, we’ve not observed any birds in this location.
I suspect many were of the same tui, but at different times, however I think I managed to identify at least 7 different birds by their white cravat feathers: when you really take note, these were quite distinctive.
Regards,
Vivienne.
By: Vivienne on March 7, 2010
at 22:54
Thank you vivienne, I realise I thanked you privately, but not here… Sorry about that!
By: kubke on March 20, 2010
at 01:13
On Sunday 27th December, around 3:30 pm I heard a tui call in our front yard, which is at 33 Wellington St, Papakura. It was easy to spot sitting at the very top of a large fir tree on the eastern corner of our section. We watched two tui in a neighbour’s tree (not a native) earlier in the year and have had one in our flax bush, only metres from the front door, earlier this week. Will have to make note of the times and dates in future!
By: Terri Beals on December 28, 2009
at 11:49
Thank you Terri! Your data is already on the sheet! Great details!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 16:29
Report of sighting: 12.00 midday, one tui, in Pohutakawa tree, Takapuna, residential backyard, overlooking Harbour Bridge, approx 1000m from inlet.
By: Alan MacDonald on December 28, 2009
at 12:07
Great Alan, Thanks! You must enjoy the view. Takapuna is so beautiful!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 16:31
Yep great view.
By: Alan MacDonald on December 30, 2009
at 15:00
we have had 2 tui all spring/summer singing and feeding in both the grevillia robusta and the bottlebrush trees (the latter being less than 50 metres from our house), we live 30 kms north west of whangarei in titoki on the cnr of McCardle and Wrights roads. They are very friendly and dont fly away when we are working outside.
By: liz griffin on December 28, 2009
at 12:08
Thanks Liz, I have entered the data. We are hoping to get a time stamp for the sightings, if you can give us that next time. Sounds like you and the tui are living in total harmony!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 16:34
The tuis seem to be around for most of the day, but we only occasionally hear or see them at the moment.(Jan 4th) maybe its too dry.
By: liz griffin on January 4, 2010
at 15:59
Thanks Liz. Hopefully they will be back and active soon!
By: kubke on January 5, 2010
at 03:32
Male Tui 20/12/09. The Narrows Wairau Valley Blenheim. Tree outside kitchen window no more than meter from house.
Farm area mostly wine production. Garden has native trees has been heard for a couple of weeks
By: gilesl on December 28, 2009
at 12:09
Thanks gilesl! If you can get a time for the spottings as well it wold be great!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 16:36
9am this morning 5 tui again feeding on the big flax bush flowers in our little wetland area, Karamu, 15 kms west of Hamilton. They hop from a gum tree or a redwood to one of the many flax. The paddock is deer fenced, at places the fence is 3 metres from the flax bushes. We have a small block and regenerating bush remnant on either side of a steep ridge below our house. The Karamu Reserve is close by, a great tui breeding spot with kowhai, ribbonwoods, podocarps etc. We think at least one pair have nested for the past 2 years in the bush near the house. They sing in a redwood near the house and now that the young pohutukawa in the garden is flowering (about 3 mtres high) they are feeding there too. The fly low over the roof of our 2 storey house to dive into the pohutukawa, or drop down from the redwood.
By: Janet on December 28, 2009
at 13:16
Thank you Janet! Those are great details. I will pass them along to the the Halo project as well. I am sure they will be interested.
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 16:40
I saw a tui on a flax bush in the beer garden of the Monteiths Bar on the corner of Agra Cresent and Ganges Rd in Khandallah, Wellington. This was 16th December about 7.30pm. It seemed to be feeding. It was a hot and windless evening in Wellington (!) and the beer garden was full of revelers.
This is quite a built up shopping area so I was really surprised to see it there but I was told that it is not unusual. I live in Christchurch and I have rarely (if ever) seen any tui here.
Incidentally, on Google maps the bar location is noted incorrectly. Both the map and streetview show that place is called Taste but I’m sure that is where the Monteiths bar is.
By: Kaye Gilhooley on December 28, 2009
at 13:56
Thank you Kaye. What a wonderful way to enjoy a beer!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 16:42
Tui seen in southern rata tree foraging amongst blossom of tree at 8.50 pm 27 Dec 09, suburban garden with house on section, Balmacewen Road, (south-east of Pilkington Street) Dunedin. Underground power lines at that section of road. Overhead powerlines begin about 30-40 metres northwest down the road by the golf course.
By: Caroline on December 28, 2009
at 14:06
Thank you Caroline! wonderful details!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 16:43
14:28 28 December Tui heard singing in the back yard, Wanganui Ave, Herne Bay AK. This is a regular occurrence – usually daily – morning and night. Large tree on the boundary between 2 houses is the usual perch.
By: Vincent on December 28, 2009
at 14:35
During the summer we have regular 2or3 tuis around our home at all times. They perch in our pine trees (usually at the top) they are a regular part of our dawn chorus. Their diet appears to be flax, Mexican fire bush, kowhai, gum tree,red hot pokers, it is amusing to watch them getting the nectar from the pokers. We watch them carefully on these as there are some cats around. Bathing in our bird bath is a nightly event. We live at Waihola a lakeside settlement 40 K south of Dunedin. However during the winter our feeding station is part of the local visiting for 20 or more. Most of the neighbour stop the feeding when the kowhais on the hill are out.
Hope this helps your research we have a few photos of the feeding station if you would like copies sent?
By: Pauline Bacon on December 28, 2009
at 15:58
That is brilliant Pauline. You must enjoy your birds! I would love some pictures. PLease email them to us at popscinz [at] gmail.com, and let us know if we have permission to post them. I may put them on Flikr as well as on this site. I would need to know whether you are ok with the copyright licence we are under or whether you want to have a different copyright for you.
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 16:55
Tuis are regularly seen and heard in the suburb of Parnell, Auckland. I live on Brighton Rd just up from Bloodworth Park (Shore Rd) and Hobson Bay. I see them in tall trees almost daily when I go for walks. Grey warblers are also frequently heard.
By: Claudia on December 28, 2009
at 16:45
Thank you claudia. Please continue to let us know when you see them, and if possible give us an approximate time. Sounds like enjoyable walks!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 16:57
Tui spotted, 5.40, Takapuna adress as before. In orange tree in backyard. Of course you may not be doing anything about Tuis at all, this may be about the wisdom of the crowd, or how we compile our descritions or similar. Good for encouraging me to see them.
By: Alan MacDonald on December 28, 2009
at 17:30
LOL! I love your theory! But no, as disappointed as you may be this is about tui! And I am glad it is motivating you to take a second look at them! By the way, 5:40 am or pm? (I am assuming am, since your post has a 5:30 pm time stamp?). Could you confirm please? Thanks!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 17:02
We regularly see tuis around our home in Rawalpindi Street, Mt Albert, Auckland. In the front garden pohutukawa tree we have occasionally counted four at once. I last heard one yesterday morning. We are close to the Chamberlain Park golf course and back onto the little Rawalpindi Reserve. 28.12.2009
By: Sean Kisby on December 28, 2009
at 18:05
Thank you Sean. Keep your eyes open, for more. And it would help to have a time and date for when you spotted them. Cheers!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 17:05
As common as flies here in Campbells Bay (North shore). They use our birdbath daily. We are in a large pocket of native bush and are blessed with many other species too.
By: Dale on December 28, 2009
at 18:19
Thank you Dale. The tui must be happy they have that bird bath, it seems. If possible, please give us an approximate time and date when you spot the tui. Keep the data coming! Thanks again!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 17:07
I have just seen a tui fly into a totara tree adjacent to our house It is 6.15 pm and I am at Parua Bay, on the Whangarei Harbour. It and anothe tui are having some sort of territorial discussion as they move through and around the tree. From wre I am sitting, with my glass of wine, they could hardly be more than 10 metres away.
By: marian on December 28, 2009
at 18:34
Thank you Marian. What a wonderful way to enjoy a glass of wine! Let us know how this territorial argument ends!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 17:09
we have tuis at our place every day. the sit at the very top of our neighbours’ fir or pine tree, but it’s pretty much outside our window. sometimes there are two together, but often there are several and like to fly between the trees on the property. we are in a bush clad section in ngaio in wellington. they are here every day and sing loudly and seem to talk to each other – at all hours of the day.
By: scrappysue on December 28, 2009
at 21:58
Thank you! Your tui seem to be very active. It would help if you could send us a time when you see them. Keep it coming! And thanks again!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 17:24
2 Tui in trees and on utility lines 7.30 pm 84 Houghton Bay Road 28 Dec. 09
Permanent tui in area – see regenerating coastal forest around Houghton Valley School on Google Earth. Tui is first bird call in morning currently about 4.30 am – 2 note call. Till about end of November it was a one note call. (Is it true their range of notes increases with age? Sound experience? )
Specific notes. Tui band red white on left leg 9am 24/11 – flax nectar by 85
Ditto 1 pm 29/11 – ditto
Ditto 3 pm 29/11 – ditto
Tui green white band left leg 3 pm 14/12 – ditto also on utilty wires.
Comment. Tuis a constant presence now– observations random. Late November when flax was in fullest flower I counted 6 different tui one day by 85 – four banded, one large unbanded and one small unbanded. (banded by peterr@actrix.co.nz )
General note. I was a meter reader in Wellington 1986- 1997. Rarely heard tuis in Southern city till establishment of Karori Wildlife Reserve. Observed tuis setting up across city. No tuis in Houghton Valley for decades. About 2000 3 tuis set up in trees at Wellington Zoo – soon after three tuis began visiting winter flowering gum at the school before departing north each day. Noted first permanent tui in valley about 2005. Spend up to an hour at a time in gum flowering on school playground through winter months. Also visit flowering Kermadec pohutakawa in early spring. Regularly visit flowering flax Nov-Dec perhaps as often as every two or three hours. (anecdotal observation )
Also noted tui(s) at 11 West St Greytown – 24, 25 26 Dec 2009 all hours – first bird to call about 4.30 am. Note counted 13 tuis in one kowhai tree Sept Oct 2007 in West St.
Also summer 2007 West St timed one tui call – about 5 or 6 calls a minute – First call 4.30am last call 10 pm – minimum of 3000 a day?
Winter 1997 solitary tui in Berhampore Wellington – 3 days (approx 8 am- 12 pm) – became aware of tui giving 5 short calls then pause then one short call. This coincided with 5 beeps of meter reading computer (five digits on meter) then pause and beep to turn page to next meter. Began altering beeps to just three and tui became less regular at 5 plus 1
Also have noted tuis by babbling water falls give softer more sophisticated calls – throaty squagglings reminiscent of water sound?
Note tuis regularly rest on utility wires but never see them on buildings, fences, aerials and other such structures.
By: Dave McArthur on December 28, 2009
at 22:37
Wow Dave, that is incredible set of data. Thank you so much! If I may ask, you say the tui with green white band you saw at 3 p, on Dec 14 was both on flax and on utility wires. Did it jump from one or the other, or are these two different tui? Thank you so much for the details! It is great that some are banded, since we can be sure whether they are the same bird or not.
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 17:37
Same tui on both flax and wires. Sometimes I pick a pattern in a tui’s travels as though it is systematically visiting flowering flaxes on a route. If interrupted or alarmed they often swoop off and sit on the wires and observe, then head off in direction of tree/flax they normally visit next. Other times they seem to find the wires a great place to sit and sing.
Re sighting of six tuis in one day. Can date that a bit better – probably more like two weeks before 20th Nov. That day I called in on Peter R the ornithological guy to get is email address as I would like to set up bird band report link for children Houghton Valley School –I’m the school caretaker. The school has a coastal forest regeneration project by the school – see Google Earth. He took from his freezer a tui with one of the markings I recalled – seems it died crashing into a window in Buckleys Road and the occupants kindly delivered its body to him.
Other note: mid winter I became aware I had not heard our tui for some weeks. Then I realised that this coincided with the sudden arrival of 9 magpies in the valley. They have a considerable ability to detect when a person is most vulnerable (hands full, riding bike, holding ball etc) and attack. They have ripped up children at Houghton Valley School so I got Greater Wellington Council to drop off traps with call bird, which they did Friday afternoon. Caught three that night and reset trap. Next morning I was woken by tui call for first time in a while –so figured most of magpies must be in trap. Went down to school and found this to be true, with the three remaining magpies obsessed with their imprisoned mates. I caught 8 of them (one stayed watch, never went near the trap and when the others were gone it left the valley for good.) – When 8 were in the trap I noted the tui in a nearby tree singing a song such as I had never heard before – there did seem to be an element of celebration in the song like it was using every note in its repertoire. The tui, absent in call and song, must have somehow been sitting in the wings (pun not intended) observing the valley to know to return as it did.
By: Dave McArthur on December 30, 2009
at 14:24
Hi Dave
We too have a tui calling around 4am, before dawn, and like you have noted the single bell call up until November, lately progressed to two notes. I recall we had the same pattern the previous spring, and having had it repeated this year, am wondering if it’s the pre-dawn, wakeup announcement.
The other morning, we had a distant response further into the bush; a two note repetition of our friend outside the window.
By: Vivienne on January 4, 2010
at 12:29
Many Tui live in the Otatara forest near Invercargill. Seen in our garden/forest in trees and shrubs feeding and preening at many different times of day. Not seen on house or in garden immediately adjacent to house, but common a few metres from house. Only once seen on the grass.
By: John Dunlop on December 28, 2009
at 22:37
Thank you John! We now have data all the way to Invercargill! That is brilliant! If you could provide us with a specific time and date when you spot the tui, it would be really helful! Keep it coming!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 17:40
We have tuis all year and they always choose trees over other structures (apart from the feeder). I have put them on youtube (tuis opoho). At the moment one bird is being very possessive of our whole section, chasing other tuis and bellbirds and even chasing away pigeons. The location is Warden St Opoho Dunedin.
By: Eric Shelton on December 28, 2009
at 22:40
Thanks Eric. It seems you have come across a tui with a strong personality! If you keep spotting them, could you please send us a date and time as well? Thanks!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 17:43
a breeding pair – on and off over last two weeks of Nov and first two weeks of Dec – mostly first thing in morning, less often dusk. mostly the male. 55 Riddlers Cres, Petone. Always at back of property on a large avocado tree that arches over my large garden shed. Property is cat free (thx 2 my dog).
Railway corridor nearby, beyond that a hill that is all native reserve. very confident – landed several times within 10 foot of me.
By: Lee on December 29, 2009
at 09:18
Thank you lee. If I may ask, when the tui lands near you is it on the garden, or on a deck? All bits of information are useful, and if possible could you provide us with dates and times? Thank you so much!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 17:48
Not specific on times, but over my morning coffee, so 0630 -0700. Back in the evening when lounging on back deck, so maybe 1900 – 1945. Date range as per above, saw them most days.
Noting Dave McArthurs comment above, they disappeared for three to four days when a HUGE magpie turned up. Luckily it was cocky enough to insist on coming in really close, landing on the ground. After a couple of good blasts with the jet setting on my garden hose he left for greener pastures and the Tui returned (didn’t know about traps and am a bit squeemish about that anyway)
As for landing, mostly on a Karaka on the fenceline, once on a Pohutakawa I have in a large container only two metres from my back porch.
Additional sighting from my Mum’s place. Two Tui in a Rata at the front of her property at 16 Orme Street, Outram over the first fortnight of December. Early evening she says, but given she wasn’t proactively looking could be more often. They have a mix of natives and exotics and the area is semi rural. She also noted they are quite hard to spot as they sit well within the Rata foliage so this data is quite incomplete, sorry.
By: Lee on January 7, 2010
at 09:35
Thanks Lee! Seems you managed to scare the magpie away!
By: kubke on January 8, 2010
at 18:02
Yesterday from about 4pm – 7pm, and today, now 10am, a very frequent visitor is in the neighbour’s liquidamber tree and is feeding on our bottlebrush flowers.
This is in Pukehana Ave, Epsom, Auckland
By: merle on December 29, 2009
at 10:17
Thank you merle! Keep letting us know what your frequent visitor is doing!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 17:51
I can endorse that tui are common in Parnell. There are two big old Norfolk pines at the end of Burrows Ave in Parnell, (at either side of the entrance of the block of flats at number 12). I saw a Tui singing at the very top of the left-side tree at around 4 in the afternoon of 22nd December, and around Christmas last year I saw one singing at the top of the other Norfolk.
I have also noticed very striking differences in the calls of Tui here, and those in Remuera where I visited ex-neighbours this Christmas Eve at 5pm. Here in Parnell the Tui song is long, varied and melodic, but in Remuera (heard but not seen at Minto Rd) heard a succession of penetrating single notes answered by another tui some distance off.
By: Sarah on December 29, 2009
at 10:26
You seem to have a good ear! Birds have songs and calls. I wonder whether they are different sounding songs in the two areas, or whether what you head in Remuera were contact calls but not songs. Perhaps I should write a post about this. Thanks for the info! (You are now giving me ideas for the next citizen science project!)
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 17:56
Tui song would be an interesting research topic. Here in Karamu/Te Pahu (Waipa District near Pirongia mountain) tui are common and there are several breeding sites in the area. I have talked with locals about the tui song they hear after noticing over a couple of years that the songs of the tui around our house (as distinct from their short calls) were much the same until one spring day a tui with a completely different call turned up. The local consensus is that the young learn the song of their parents. There are some good stories of tui mimicking sounds – one copied the person’s mobile phone ring. I can confirm the theory of the young learning to sing as they grow up. Last autumn I noticed a bird feeding a young bird and over the following couple of months watched the young one in the bush below the house and in the redwood beside the house (the popular high spot for tui singing). It could sing a few notes to start with but sounded more like a chicken!. Then as it gradually got better it mastered the parent’s full song.
By: Janet on December 30, 2009
at 11:13
We have tuis around my area (Wattle Downs, Manukau City) but they are usually away from where I am on a busy street – Wattle Farm Rd. On Saturday evening at dusk two came into the tree (unsure of species) over my deck and were singing away they were only a couple of meters away from the house and where I was sitting just inside the ranch slider. I have seen them that close to the house since but I think they’ve been hanging out in the neighbour’s pohutakawa tree during the night. They’ve even been singing a bit in the middle of the night!
By: Emilie Lad on December 29, 2009
at 10:29
Thank you Emilie, you must be enjoying their song. Isn’t it beautiful? Please keep letting us know when you spot them!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 17:59
Just had two tui on the feeder 10:05. One of them has no tail and is new this year. We have sugar water (1 cup sugar in 2l water) so have lots of tui’s at all times of the day. At present they have often have coloured foreheads as they come form the flax to our feeder. They fly into the adjacent psudopanax then hop onto the table. If the sugar water is not out then they appear to call to us and watch us eat breakfast seeming to say “what about us!”. This is rural residential with lots of expanding gardens especially native plants Dawson Road, Mapua. The tui roost in the pine trees around the section (and we think nest). In the past we had one we would see holding the gutter and hanging upside down to get the spiders from underneath but have not observed this in the last couple of years. The most we’ve had in the tree at one time (last year) was 15 with 9 the most on the feeder, loots like a rolling maul as they joust for position.
By: Rob & Theo on December 29, 2009
at 10:29
LOL! I love your description Rob & Theo! Especially the one of the tui hanging upside down! Keep giving us information (and filling it with those wonderful descriptions!)
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 18:03
I saw a tui in the lower branches of a pine tree at 4.45pm on the 28th of December at 225 Huia St, Waikanae. The tree was part of a stand running along the paddock boundary. A large house was about 20 metres away and a 110Kv line was on the other side of the house. There were no overhead phone lines.
By: bev on December 29, 2009
at 11:32
Thank you Bev, Great description of the area! Please keep letting us know when you spot them again!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 18:06
tuis sighted monday 12.30 three tuis in cabbage tree in our garden.also have a feed station with sugar and water
Tuesday 29- tuis up to 4 around all morning in the cabbage and palm trees
By: lib on December 29, 2009
at 12:38
Thank you lib, sounds like the tui in your neighbourhood are happy! Could you please provide us with an approximate location? Thanks!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 18:13
two tui’s fly in and out of our garden every day 7.30ish til early evening. they sit in our LARGE elm tree and Australian frangapani. power lines are at the front of the section tree is at back house is in middle. they love to swoop down on the cat and dog to tease them!! area: boundary road papakura
By: chris on December 29, 2009
at 14:36
I love the image of the tui teasing the cat and dog. I have seen some birds do that to the cats in my neighbourhood too! I think that is quite brave on their part! Please keep letting us know when you spot them!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 18:16
We have numerous Tui here in Stanley Glenfield Auckland. The house is surrounded by regenerated bush and both Tui and Wood pigeon are seen.
Before Christmas a young Tui crashed into a window, we kept if safe until it had regained it senses and was able to fly. The true beauty of the Tui is not apparent from a distance; the colour and elegance are truly wonderful.
We have also seen 2 pair or Tui in Stapleford Cres Brown Bay.
By: James Lowen on December 29, 2009
at 16:20
Thank you James, It is true, their beauty is fully apprecaited when you see them up close. It is unfortunate it was an accident that made that happen, but luckily it seems the tui recovered ok. Please let us know when you see them again, and remember to let us know the date and time as well! Cheers!
By: kubke on December 29, 2009
at 18:22
Hi,
We have Tuis here from dawn to dusk most days. We are in Onepoto, Titahi Bay overlooking the Poriua Harbour. We have no power or telphone wires here so they perch in the trees. I have seen them feeding in Silver Dollar Gum, Cabbage, Bottle Brush, Flax, Camellia, Pohutukawa and other trees around our section.
We have had as many as 7 here at one time. I have also seen them chasing insects like fantails do. They are quite manoeuverable for a big bird.
They are quite comfortable around people and will sit a couple of metres away from us and sing and chatter for several minutes. At the moment, 10:30, there is one in a the cabbage tree on the south side of the house and another in the Pohutukawa on the north side.
By: Ezekial on December 30, 2009
at 10:53
Thanks Ezekial, it sounds like you have heaps of trees for the tui to choose from! Must be fun seeing them chase insects. I have never seen them do that myself! Keep the data coming!
By: kubke on January 2, 2010
at 05:14
Lambhill, near Fordell, 15 km east of Wanganui, 28/12/09. This is a rural location, and there are several Tui in our garden all year round. This particular one I first noted at 1:50 p.m., doing a regular circuit around the house. Starting high up in an elm tree, about 30m from the house, it sang a song and then flew towards the east. About 10 minutes later it (or one very like it) arrived from the west, and landed in the same spot, sang a song and then flew towards the east. I continued to observe this until after 4:00 p.m., when I went indoors, with the frequency of the circuits being between 10 and 20 minutes. There are no power lines close to the house, but there is a short run of phone line nearby.
By: Jim on December 30, 2009
at 14:21
Thank you Jim, You are a good observer! Seems you have this tui´s behaviour down to the finest detail! I hope it sings a pretty song you can enjoy!
By: kubke on January 2, 2010
at 05:18
Tui spotted.
Dec 29
12.00 midday pohutaskawa tree
2.00
Dec 30 3.oo pm puhutakawa tree
Alan’s Takapuna Bachyard
By: Alan MacDonald on December 30, 2009
at 14:58
Thanks Alan!
By: kubke on January 2, 2010
at 05:21
2 Piri Lane Paraparaumu.
A pair of Tui seem to nest in the very large pine trees at the rear of the property and there have been Tui around this property for a number of years. There is great deal of native bush in the area including Kowhai and pohutukawa on the property in which they spend a great deal of time. They enjoy whatever flowers, blossoms and ripe fruit that are around at the time. They recently have started flapping around in the gum tree very close to the lounge windows in the early evening. No flowers there! Do they eat insects as well perhaps? They come very close to the house, but I have never seen them perched on any manmade structure. They don’t seem very concerned about my presence and will come very close, before flying off.
I suspect from their behaviour that they are territorial. They chase off the magpies and I thought for a time they had chased away the fantails and other smaller birds but they seem to be back this year. Their nesting/roosting spot seems to be near the top of one of the pine trees. I wonder if their territory is not large, but it is of course hard to tell which tui is which!! I notice when walking in the area that there seems to be a pair of tui at regular intervals. There are power lines around of course but possibly not in this paticular territory. I don’t think I have ever seen any Tui on buildings or power lines. The kingfishers love power lines! Because I see them so close up all the time they have become like friends to me really. I enjoy their huge variety of song. Their young obviosly learn to sing from mimicing!!! It can get tedious!
They are last bed and first up every day!
By: Lois McConnell on December 30, 2009
at 19:14
What beautiful tui you seem to have. Some have reported the tui chasign insects, and I understand it is part of their diet. As for their song, they are supposed to learn it from their parents by imitation and you are not the only one that considers the juvenile song to be a bit annoying at times. But practie makes perfect, and the adult song can be so beautiful!
By: kubke on January 2, 2010
at 05:25
Lambhill, near Fordell, 15 km east of Wanganui, 31/12/09, 9:00 a.m.
Tui in a birdbath near the house, flew to the elm mentioned previously, groomed, then joined others in a nearby pohutukawa for breakfast.
By: Jim on December 31, 2009
at 09:39
Thank you Jim!
By: kubke on January 2, 2010
at 05:29
I was visiting a friend’s place in Roseneath, Wellington and in the morning (3 December), around 7am, I saw through the living room window a tui sitting in a tree branch- all of two feet away from the house. The tui was singing busily, and I watched it until it flew off some minutes later. I was entranced as it was so close and I could hear it. Seemed unperturbed by me, if I was seen at all. Hope this helps, Ruth
By: Ruth Watson on December 31, 2009
at 16:31
Thank you Ruth! Indeed, they hae a wonderful song!
By: kubke on January 2, 2010
at 05:32
Tui spotted.
Sydeny st, Takapuna
Backyard
Pohutakawa tree and oak tree
On branches
3.50pm
Dec 31
By: Alan MacDonald on December 31, 2009
at 17:20
Hi, We have four tui’s living in some Pohutukawa trees around our house. They seem to especially like flying around in the evening when our children are running around. We have noticed they like to swoop down, sometimes quite close to our heads! We have some power lines, they do perch on. London Road, Korokoro, Lower Hutt.
By: deborah on December 31, 2009
at 19:44
Thanks Deborah,
Would you be able to provide us with an approximate location? cheers!
By: kubke on January 2, 2010
at 06:28
3.30 pm New Years Day – Totara Rd, Stanmore Bay. Saw a Tui fly to a large Norfolk Pine. It landed about six branches down from the top, then hopped up a couple. It stayed in that spot – occassionally making short ‘calls’.
The Norfolk Pine is one of a side-by-side pair that are close to a two story house. The trees, though are much higher than the house.
It’s common to see one or two tuis in these trees They fly to and from it and appear to try to catch flying insects – often diving straight down at high speed.
By: Ron McGurk on January 1, 2010
at 15:59
Thanks Ron. It seems lot of people are seeing Tui catching insects! That is great! Thank you so much and keep letting us know when you see them again!
By: kubke on January 2, 2010
at 06:32
4.45 am 1 Jan Woken by three note tui call dropping- down scale a note each time.
9.28 am 31Dec 85 Houghton Bay Road Wellington
Small tui with red-white band energetically hopping all over small pohutakawa tree extracting nectar in most systematic way. Meanwhile large non-banded tui sat on utility wire a meter away from tree simple observing valley. After about three minutes a third tui called across the valley and large tui swooped off in that general direction. Banded tui did not follow and soon departed.
Additional notes. Confirmed with my parents yesterday that I did once see a tui on the ground at West St Greytown – only time I recall seeing this. They report seeing it more often, traversing ground in funny hops. I am aware of them chasing flying insects but not of hunting on ground for worms and the like. Perhaps this is a factor in their survival. My parents told me they took a photo some years ago of a tui bathing in the birdbath just outside their lounge window – the photo was published in the Forest and Bird magazine.
My experience too is that tui is first up, last to bed of all our day birds.
By: Dave McArthur on January 2, 2010
at 11:07
Thanks Dave! Great details!
By: kubke on January 5, 2010
at 02:39
Tui spotted.
Jan 2
12.30
tree
Alan’s Takapuna Bachyard
By: Alan MacDonald on January 2, 2010
at 13:52
Thank you Alan!
By: kubke on January 5, 2010
at 03:25
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=100850131720446040395.000437b4990e336d5c25a&ll=-36.861111,174.863607&spn=0.001212,0.00284&z=19
3 jan 2010 2120. Called from large oak tree. nearly dark.
Haven’t heard a tui for a few days – not sure where they have gone to.
Cheers, Duncan
By: Duncan Styles on January 3, 2010
at 21:33
Thanks Duncan,
A couple of people said the tui had seemed to go off on vacation over new years!
By: kubke on January 5, 2010
at 03:28
1/1/10 at 23 Omiha rd Rocky Bay, Waiheke: 3 sightings:
5:15 pm in manuka(kanuka?) chortling
5:25 pm flying eastwards above trees
6:00 pm in kowhai preening
on 4/1/10 at 5272 Kaipara Coast Highway, Hoteo North (near Wellsford)
at 5:46 pm on flax bushes by pond –
By: Linda Macdonald on January 4, 2010
at 17:55
Thank you so much Linda!
By: kubke on January 5, 2010
at 03:35
Tui spotted
Sydney St
Takapuna
Monday 4 Jan
11.10am Oak tree
Monday Camelia Tree
Pohutekawa
By: Alan MacDonald on January 4, 2010
at 18:49
Redo siting
monday 4 Jan
Sydney st, Takapuna
11.10am oak tree
Mid day Camelia tree
6.00 pm Pohutekawa tree
ignore precious post
By: Alan MacDonald on January 4, 2010
at 18:51
Thank Alan,
Deleted your prior posting to avoid confusion! Thanks again!
By: kubke on January 5, 2010
at 04:49
Tui spotted
Sydney st, Takapuna
1pm , pohutakawa tree
3.15 oak and citrus tree
By: Alan MacDonald on January 7, 2010
at 16:57
Thanks, Alan!
By: kubke on January 8, 2010
at 18:02
Tui spotted
Jan 8
Sydney st, Takapuna
11 am
In oak tree, and camelia bush
By: Alan MacDonald on January 8, 2010
at 14:39
Thanks!
By: kubke on January 8, 2010
at 18:03
Tui spotted
Sydney St, Takapuna
Jan 9
9.30 am
In Pohutakawa tree
By: Alan MacDonald on January 9, 2010
at 10:25
4.pm 11January 2010
one tui is around a lot today flying and calling between bottle brush and grevillea robusta, it chases sparrows and other birds out of bottle brush quite often. seems to be getting quite tame ie it sits still for a while before flying off.
By: liz griffin on January 11, 2010
at 16:10
Thanks Liz, It seems tui like to chase other birds away!
By: kubke on January 12, 2010
at 17:08
We live in Titirangi on the edge of the Waitakere Ranges (Kopiko Road) Our property is surrounded on two sides by bush (predominantly kauri) we have a large deck and a fence on one side with a wooden gazebo. there are telephone lines running through the trees at the front of the house and power lines on the other side of the road. we see tui all the time and hear them all day. One is calling now (6pm). I can’t see it because it’s hidden in a tree. I have never seen them on any of the man made structures around us. they are either in the trees or flying (often like kamikaze pilots between the kauri). There is at least one breeding pair as we saw a young tui (no throat wattle) before christmas at different times during the day (always in the trees).
Question: do tui breed more than once in a season? There’s a high pitched chirping occurring now that sounds like the baby tui did before christmas.
By: Michal on January 11, 2010
at 18:02
Thanks for the data! And that is a good question. I don’t know how often they breed, but will try to find out!
By: kubke on January 12, 2010
at 17:11
January 12, 2210, 0800hrs.
We have tuis in the Pururi tree in Birkenhead Auckland. The tuis and wood pigeons have been fighting out the territory for many years with the pigeons giving in very quickly. This year we have a new phenomenon of what we believe is a young wood pigeon baiting a tui and this game of ‘tag’ or ‘catch me if you can’ has developed. It has been going on for 2-3 weeks. Game last sighted at time above. Will try to get photos but they are so quick.
They are back. it is now 0843.
By: Lynette Harrison on January 12, 2010
at 08:44
Thanks Lynette. Love the struggle with the pigeons! I wonder who will outsmart who in the end!
By: kubke on January 12, 2010
at 17:13
Sightings today Jan 12th
8:15am one tui sitting on dead kanuka branch near our front door (Kopiko Rd Titirangi). telephone line and house roof all within a couple of metres.
9:00am one tui sitting on telephone lies running across top of Kopiko Road. at this point of the road both sides are covered by natives, no buildings. it flew into the trees as I approached.
10:15am two tui in pohutukawa on Kohu Road Titirangi. one feeding from the flowers, the other preening (a rain shower had just passed). powerlines and telephone lines all in close proximity.
By: Michal on January 12, 2010
at 10:39
Oh my! You have now seen them on the power lines! Great spotting! Thank you!
By: kubke on January 12, 2010
at 17:17
I should add for the 9am and 10:15am sightings there were no buildings close by, but there was a low fence beside the footpath where I saw the tui in the pohutukawa
By: Michal on January 15, 2010
at 13:49
Good to know! Thanks for remembering to point that out!
By: kubke on January 26, 2010
at 16:57
Tui spotted
Sydney St, Takapuna
Jan 128.15 am
In Pohutakawa tree
By: Alan MacDonald on January 12, 2010
at 13:57
Thank you!
By: kubke on January 12, 2010
at 17:19
1700 hrs. Tui and pigeon are back (Paris Place, Birkenhead. Tui in attack mode, head and beak pushed forward, wings slightly tilted up. Takes dive at pigeon who, suprisingly, moves quickly to another branch and off they go again. Up to 4 tuis in the tree today at one time.
By: Lynette Harrison on January 12, 2010
at 17:04
Thanks Lynette! I think the pigeon knows better than to fight with a tui!
By: kubke on January 12, 2010
at 17:29
2015hrs They are at it again. Took photos.
By: Lynette Harrison on January 12, 2010
at 20:22
Thanks Lynette! Any chance you could email us your photos?
By: kubke on January 26, 2010
at 16:34
13/1 at 1756 tui in attack mode in Pururi tree. Could not see pigeon or other birds.
2003hrs tui in same tree preening for some time then feeding nectar from flowers.
Paris place Birkenhead
By: Lynette Harrison on January 13, 2010
at 20:32
Thank you so much! I wonder what was bothering this tui…
By: kubke on January 26, 2010
at 16:35
Tui in Pururi tree chasing off all birds including sparrows and ringneck doves. Have a seed feed for birds there and the tuis are quiet tolerant usually but suspect food may be getting short even though crown of Thorn tree still in bloom. Very very aggressive this morning.
As my partner stated: mine, mine, all mine, even if I don’t eat it.
sighted 0830hrs and still continuing.
By: Lynette Harrison on January 14, 2010
at 08:44
Tell your partner that is a very funny description!
By: kubke on January 26, 2010
at 16:38
I noticed that I did not state the location of the Pururi tree in location to a building. The tree is right next to the house overhanging the deck. From our picture window we have a view of what seems like an open aviary with such a variety of birds. garden planted with nectar trees which hep keep the tuis here most of the year.
partner reports that tui now allowing dove to eat.
By: Lynette Harrison on January 14, 2010
at 08:57
Thanks Lynette, that is a great detailed description! It is funny how it chases birds away from the seeds….
By: kubke on January 26, 2010
at 16:39
Am getting a running comment. Tui only allowing doves to eat. All other birds getting short shift.
By: Lynette Harrison on January 14, 2010
at 08:59
Hi there:
Are you running the project right through the summer? I’m still recording my tui sightings in a spreadsheet, and would hate to miss the “cut-off”.
By: Vivienne on January 14, 2010
at 10:54
Yes, Vivienne, we will continue going until we have enough data. I will let people know when we move to the analysis phase. So don’t worry, you will not be left off.
By: kubke on January 26, 2010
at 16:50
Tui heard
Sydney St, Takapuna
5.28 am
in garden
Jan 14
By: Alan MacDonald on January 14, 2010
at 15:15
Since arriving home one hour ago tui has been in tree (3 metres from house) keeping all birds brave enough to land away. Tui feeding from flowers, honey water, preening and in attack mode. Bird feeder full so doves have lost favour.
Paris Place Birkenhead
By: Lynette Harrison on January 14, 2010
at 18:18
Thanks! Are the tui perching on the feeder?
By: kubke on January 26, 2010
at 16:54
No. Not on feeder, on branch above it, wings spread and chest feathers plumped.
I have just noticed that where we might have 3-4 tuis at anyone time in the tree this summer there is just this one bird. It is still playing king of the castle though the young pigeon seems to have given up
3 years ago tuis built their nest in a pittosporum next to the deck next door at deck height. So weird. Two babies hatched then big black cat decided he could reach them. Cat had been around for six years sunning on this deck. Could never figure that one out, either the tree or the vicinity to the house.
By: Lynette Harrison on January 26, 2010
at 18:57
Wow! You really do have an eye for detail! Than you so much for that response.
By: kubke on January 27, 2010
at 14:29
More sightings from Kopiko Road Titirangi
Jan 14th 3:10pm hopping around in the tree branches above our garage. seen from the kitchen window.
Jan 15th 1:20pm sitting on a fern branch approx 2m above our deck. sat there for about 10 min before flying in trees at the front of the property.
By: Michal on January 15, 2010
at 13:47
Thanks! Those are great data!
By: kubke on January 26, 2010
at 16:56
I haven’t seen or heard tui here lately, but today at 12:00 midday one came and perched at the top of the pecan tree , which is close to the deck of our house. It called twice, then flew off to sit at the top of a macrocarpa tree in the park across the road. (I’ve given a brief description of the area in previous responses. ) There are houses and units all around our section, which is on a corner. We have a small area of native shrubs on our property, also a good-sized kauri tree, some kowhai and flax plants.
By: Terri on January 16, 2010
at 12:09
Thanks Terri! That is a great description
By: kubke on January 26, 2010
at 17:01
My just-sent response was written on Saturday 16th January 2010 re sighting at 12:00 midday.
By: Terri on January 16, 2010
at 12:11
Brilliant! Thanks for the clarification.
By: kubke on January 26, 2010
at 17:01
almost every day approx 5-5.15am, 2-3 tuis in my back yard( orini rd ,Taupiri) feeding on flax plants and also in the kowhai trees, seem fairly curious as they let me get within about 2-3 mtrs of them , will try take some pics, they also come back in the evening, houses close, orini rd closeand a native forest block approx 5-8 acres close, also have 3 wood pigeons feed on the kowhai trees,
By: rob craven on January 19, 2010
at 09:06
Thank you rob. Great description of the area!
By: kubke on January 26, 2010
at 17:04
Tui spotted
Jan 20
4.30 pm
grapefruit tree
Sydney St, Takapuna
By: Alan MacDonald on January 21, 2010
at 14:07
Have not noted tuis in this part of Houghton Valley for a couple of weeks now. In retrospect that coincides with arrival of two magpies into valley.
Had a visit from a family who live in View Road – they had learned I trap them for the Wellington Regional Council. They feed the birds (several types) and seems that 2 magpies have muscled in on the act. They reported magpies are driving tuis out of pine trees on hill side where they believe tuis are nesting.
Have suggested they stop feeding birds until magpies are gone.
By: Dave McArthur on January 27, 2010
at 10:13
That is interesting what you say about the magpies. They are nasty clever little birds. I understand they are rather difficult to trap, how do you manage that?
By: kubke on January 27, 2010
at 14:30
Great Wellington Council supply traps with call bird ie magpie. The wire cage trap has six compartments – the two centre ones are open to each other and therein resides the call bird. The other four compartments have hinged roofs that are propped open on split hinged pegs that collapses as the magpie lands on it, thereby neatly depositing magpie in compartment with lid closed.
They are clever, funny and intensely social birds and this last property makes it very easy to catch them – they are irresistibly drawn by the calls of the call bird and other birds captured in the cages and are easily caught. I really like them even if I bare scars from when they attacked me as a kid. Its just NZ is the wrong place for them. Will forward you a brochure I got RWC to send me. Also will send photos I have taken – spent half an hour searching my files on two computers and just cannot spot them.
By: Dave McArthur on January 28, 2010
at 10:30
Well, it looks like you guys are managing to outsmart those birds…. You are right, they are beautiful but they probably don’t belong in NZ.
By: kubke on January 28, 2010
at 17:49
Tui spotted
Sydney St, Takapuna
Feb 1
2.40pm
In Pohutakawa tree and oak tree
By: Alan MacDonald on February 2, 2010
at 11:56
Thanks for that Alan!
By: kubke on February 2, 2010
at 20:31
Tui singing in kauri trees about 5-10m from our deck (Kopiko Road Titirangi) 10:30 am 7th Feb
I don’t know if this is significant but all the trees surrounding us are considerably higher than the human made structures – roof, fence, powerlines.
By: Michal on February 7, 2010
at 18:55
Thanks Michal! And thanks for the details too..
By: kubke on February 8, 2010
at 10:35
More from Kopiko Road Titirangi:
7:30am tui in kanuka between drive and road. telephone line about 1 m below. garage roof about 3m below and 3m away.
8pm tui in same place.
By: Michal on February 8, 2010
at 20:59
Thanks Michal! You do provide great details!
By: kubke on February 9, 2010
at 14:03
11 Feb 4:20pm Kopiko Road
One tui has been in a kauri tree for approx the last 20 min singing and hopping around. About 5-6m directly above our roof. It’s still singing as I type.
By: Michal on February 13, 2010
at 16:22
Thank you Michal. As I read your post I wondered whether you were typing to the rhythm of its song. :)
By: kubke on February 15, 2010
at 14:49
Tui sighting
Sydney St, Takapuna
10.06 am
14 Feb, 2010
pohutakawa tree
note, will be back studying soon, so less chance to spot. does not represent a mass extinction event ;-)
By: Alan MacDonald on February 15, 2010
at 12:42
Thanks Alan. Yes, it is back to school! It will be hard to know whether the decrease in sightings have to do with changes in the behaviour of the tui or of the Citizen Scientists!
By: kubke on February 15, 2010
at 14:51
6:05pm Mon 22 Feb 10 Tui flew into a tree (possibly a ngaio) in a garden in McColl St, Vogeltown, Wellington (suburban area with lots of native trees).
By: janisfreegard on February 22, 2010
at 22:15
Thanks, nice to see you again on the site!
By: kubke on February 23, 2010
at 15:16
Thanks!
For a while there I was seeing tui at the bus-stop every day, but lately, even though I’ve been hearing them, I haven’t been seeing them.
By: janisfreegard on February 25, 2010
at 23:07
Dave (previous comment) talked to the Karori Wildlife Reserve people, who seem to sugegst that tui have become quiet and shy because of moulting.
By: kubke on February 28, 2010
at 18:14
Have not spotted or heard tuis in Houghton Valley Wellington for some weeks now – about the same time two magpies arrived in the valley. Today I thought to ring Karori Wildlife Reserve and ask if they had plenty of tuis around. The reply was yes they are around but are quiet and are not very visible at present because they are moulting. This change of behaviour was news to me and maybe for others too.
By: Dave McArthur on February 23, 2010
at 22:28
Hi Dave,
Thanks for that. It is a great piece of information to take into account. Especially since the sightings are so much more spaced in time.
By: kubke on February 28, 2010
at 18:12
1 or 2 Tui in Large gum tree between 2 houses in Kelson Lower Hutt.. The tui have been there every day most of day and appear to be there all year round. Haven,t noticed a nest at all. This is an area of abount 900 homes running up a ridge but with native bush in the gully between us and the next suburb and scrubby bush the other side. Also get Kereru over summer
By: Barbara Martin on March 15, 2010
at 22:18
Thank you Barbara, great description! I wonder where those tui have their nest!
By: kubke on March 20, 2010
at 01:17
The Tuis are back in our garden today. Mosgiel – near Dunedin. We have a huge silver birch tree near our house and they play in that.
By: Pauline Dawson on March 19, 2010
at 14:45
Thanks Pauline! It is interesting how many people describe the tui as ‘playing’.
By: kubke on March 20, 2010
at 01:19
10:50 a.m. Saturday 20th March, 2010. 33 Wellington St, Papakura (Sth Auckland). After weeks of no sightings, I have seen a tui this morning in the pecan tree close to our house. It moved from branch to branch, calling several times, before flying off.
By: Terri on March 20, 2010
at 10:57
Thanks Terri, Nice to hear they are back!
By: kubke on March 25, 2010
at 13:09
Sunday 3pm 21 March
Heard first tui in Hougton Valley for several weeks – probably since my last posting. In tree one brief burst of call than a bit of a song. Could not spot it.
Monday dusk. Heard one call but could not locate it
Wednesday dusk (8 pm) Heard a single call – probably on Lyall Bay hill ie over ridge from Houghton Bay. No one reports actually seeing tuis yet.
Such a welcome sound!!!!!!!
By: Dave McArthur on March 25, 2010
at 13:52
Thanks Dave, It is true that the song of the tui is a welcome sound. They have just such a beautiful song, don’t they?
By: kubke on April 2, 2010
at 11:21
I have at least two Tui around my place every day. They call to each other in the late afternoon and have the same song. When my kowhai tree is in flower tuis are here all day. The most I ever counted on the tree at one time is eleven. They also like cherry blossoms. They are quite tame and it is easy to get relatively close to them. I notice the tui here have different songs from tui in other areas.
By: Derek on April 10, 2010
at 22:20
It is interesting what you say about the tui having different songs from those in other areas. I wonder whether someone has done a serious study looking at those differences… Mmmm….
By: kubke on April 13, 2010
at 11:12
Hearing at least two tuis daily in Houghton Valley but they seem to be remaining invisible i.e. not publicly swooping from tree to tree.
Re tui dialects. Mention is made at this lovely webpage
http://www.neilfitzgeraldphoto.co.nz/articles/spp-profile_tui.html
I am wondering if it might be easy to confuse dialect with situation, as they reflect their surrounding soundscape. Also the above page suggests, they use sounds we cannot hear.
By: Dave McArthur on April 14, 2010
at 13:17
33 Wellington St, Papakura, Auckland 2110
3:35 p.m, Tues 20th April
A single Tui perched high in the big liquidamber tree beside our deck, rather than the pecan tree it has been seen in previously. It made a wide variety of calls and flew from branch to branch. After 11 minutes it flew to the pecan tree and continued singing and squawking, much more effusive than the three notes plus squawks we usually hear in Papakura. Maybe a visiting bird? It flew off 15 minutes after it arrived.
By: Terri on April 20, 2010
at 15:52
The Tuis (there are 2) have been in our silver birch tree every day for weeks and weeks now. Always middle of the day. Suburban Mosgiel
By: artandmylife on May 3, 2010
at 14:10
Sorry havent been monitoring for a while. butI can assure you we see and hear Tuis in our Takapuna backyard all the time. Generally they are in the oak tree or pohutekawa tree. Today a pair was 2 metres away from us on our second story verandah singing up a storm. Very thrilling.
Sunday May 9 arond 2pm. Beeps, squeeks, songs, squawks, the full gamut.
By: Alan MacDonald on May 9, 2010
at 18:34
We’ve had one (sometimes two) tui outside our place all year. Every morning at 6:40am it sings, sometimes hear it in the afternoon too. We’re at 80a Captain Scott Road, Glen Eden, Waitakere. They’re always in a tree (a bottlebrush of some kind? Not sure sorry), next to a fence and carport and between two houses – but the tui are always on the same tree.
By: annabel on June 6, 2010
at 20:18
Guadeloupe Crescent,
Grenada Village, Wellington
07.06.2010 – 11:40am
x3 Tuis on Native bush un urban area (Don’t know name of Native plants) very close to our deck. Presuming it was a pair and their offspring.
By: Steve Gregory on June 7, 2010
at 22:47
21 Oscar Road, Greenhithe, North Shore City
10.10am Monday 7 June
A sole Tui on a kanuka tree (part of a stand of monkey pod and other trres) about 5 metres east of the dwelling.
2.15pm Tuesday 8 June
A pair of Tui together with a Spotted Dove on a large solitary kanuka tree about 15 metres southwest of the dwelling and directly above a small garden shed.
The Dove flew off and both Tui then flew onto a tree fern briefly before departing to the west.
By: Peter on June 8, 2010
at 16:07
33 Wellington St, Papakura.
10:25 am Tuesday 8th July2010
Pecan tree, bare of leaves, 7 metres from the corner of the house, 2 metres from the deck (tree overhangs the deck). There are flats nearby on both sides.
Tui flew onto top branch and called out, looking around, then did the same on 7 or 8 different branches. At one point it groomed feathers under one wing. Stayed for about 10 minutes, then flew off.
By: Terri on July 8, 2010
at 11:49
33 Wellington St, Papakura
Forgot to mention that the tui just spotted had a melodic song that was different from the one we heard all summer. It was similar to the one I mentioned in my last entry – a warble, then two notes repeated 3 times (like a perfect fourth, in case you’re into musical). Didn’t have the squawk we often hear.
By: Terri on July 8, 2010
at 11:53
Hi, Just came across this web site. Do you still want Tui sightings??
By: Moanariri on August 13, 2010
at 18:41
Tuesday 24th Aug 2010
33 Wellington St, Papakura
7:25 a.m.
This morning a tui perched near the top of our leafless pecan tree (close to our deck) facing east and sang for 2 or 3 minutes. It seemed to be looking around (listening?). Flew off towards the NE and I heard a similar call a few minutes later from that direction, but couldn’t see the bird. The song was a flutey two note warbly one, without the repeated “beep” and squawk at the end which we often hear in summer.
By: Terri on August 24, 2010
at 08:35
10:10 a.m. Tuesday 7th Sept 2010
33 Welington St, Papakura
We had FOUR tuis in the pecan tree beside our deck today. The most we’ve ever seen here. One flew onto a branch, then a second and finally two others. There was a bit of testiness between the first two, edging towards each other and flapping of wings. One sang briefly, then they all flew off. It’d be nice if they came back for the kowhai blossom later on…
By: Terri on September 7, 2010
at 12:19
P.S. 7th Sept
I’ve just noticed that my last three sightings have all been on a Tuesday. I have been watching every day of the week except some Thursdays, so can’t think why that would be…
By: Terri on September 7, 2010
at 12:23
P.P.S. The clock on this site seems to be on daylight savings time…
By: Terri on September 7, 2010
at 12:26
We missed them over the winter but tui have reappeared in our property in Mt Eden in the last month. First, they were happy to see the kowhai in flower (teeny 1.5 m tree though it is). Yesterday and today, with good weather at last, my husband and I have been weeding beds under our two red bottlebrushes (5-6 m trees). We have observed a pair protecting the two trees and definitely chasing away other birds-it is bird gangland in Mt Eden! Today is Monday 4 October 2010 and the tui pair have now been with us for some days. We think they may nest in the area, as everything points to protection of food sources. Can we help them in any way?
By: Glenda Koefoed on October 4, 2010
at 20:15
We saw some really atypical tui behaviour on Friday afternoon (9th Dec). We live in Titirangi on the edge of the Waitakere Ranges (Kopiko Road) Our property is surrounded on two sides by bush (predominantly kauri) we have a large deck and a fence on one side with a wooden gazebo. there are telephone lines running through the trees at the front of the house and power lines on the other side of the road. we see tui all the time and hear them all day. Until Friday we have never seen them perching on anything but the trees. This tui flew down and landed on the top of the railings surrounding the deck (about 3m from the house). it stayed there for about 30-45sec and then flew onto a planter, where it proceeded to peck in the soil. This lasted for about a minute before it flew back into the bush.
By: Michal on December 13, 2010
at 14:50
412 Don Buck Rd, Massey, Auckland. We have Tui in the trees. One has a constant call of three-four “toots’. Often during the day, and throughout the night.
It just doesn’t seem to stop or sleep.
By: Shane on December 23, 2010
at 07:35
Is there anyone with a recording of a juvenile Tui call? I heard a rather loud monotonic and repetitive call when visiting Waikanae recently and again at Pine Hill in Dunedin but failed to see them and identify them. I would like to confirm whether they are indeed Tuis. The sound can become irritating and is certainly persistent. Both birds seemed to be solitary.
By: Iain on January 6, 2011
at 23:39