Citizen Science New Zealand

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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

Tui spotted
Sydney st, Takapuna
1pm , pohutakawa tree
3.15 oak and citrus tree

Tui spotted
Sydney St, Takapuna
Jan 9
9.30 am
In Pohutakawa tree

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”.

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.

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.

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 ;-)

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.

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.

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!!!!!!!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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…

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?

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.