Bird
Tūī
Prosthemadera novaeseelandiaeAlso known as Parson Bird
Tūī are large New Zealand honeyeaters with iridescent blue-green plumage and two curled white throat tufts. Their complex songs mix bell-like notes, clicks, coughs, and sounds above the range of human hearing as they defend flowering trees.
white throat tuftsnectar feedercomplex song
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyBeetles, caterpillars, moths
Predators
- stoats
- rats
- feral cats
ThreatsIntroduced predators, loss of native food trees, window strikes, vehicle collisions, and nest disturbance
HabitatsNative forest, coastal scrub, wooded islands, farmland shelterbelts, parks, and mature gardens
Life spanOften several years, with some banded individuals surviving for more than a decade
Classification
- FamilyMeliphagidae
- SpeciesProsthemadera novaeseelandiae
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Defensive adults may swoop near a favored feeding tree, so give vocal or displaying birds room.
Responsible observation
- Listen: Pause near flowering trees and separate bell notes from clicks, wheezes, and wing noise.
- Support: Plant locally native nectar trees and keep cats controlled without feeding wild tūī.
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