Tui in Crimson Kakabeak

Meet this Handsome Tui exploring a Kakabeak bough.

Tui are a much loved emblem in New Zealand and it is their distinct beautiful song, and lovably rambunctious antics that has made it a deeply treasured icon. Tui are classified as not threatened but still vulnerable to habitat loss and predation and play important roles in ecosystems. They are key pollinators of many native trees such as Puriri, Kowhai, Kakabeak and Pohutukawa, and will often fly large distances for their favourite foods. They are talented mimic’s and it is thought that they have a range of about 300 different calls, sounds and melody’s.  Historically, Māori sometimes trained tūī to say traditional māori phrases. Some chiefs taught their caged birds complex speeches. Tui are associated with life fulfillment, confidence, and spiritual harmony. 

Tui have only recently returned to Hamilton (where I live) thanks to decades of rejuvenation programmes that have restored greenbelts around the city. A female tui, Casper, made headlines in 2008 when she successfully fledged a chick in Hamilton Gardens—her offspring was the first tui born in the city in a century.

Kakabeak or Ngutukākā is a plant of special significance to New Zealand.  There are two species, both seriously threatened with extinction in the wild and it holds New Zealand’s highest possible threatened plant ranking: ‘Nationally Critical’. It is named for its beautiful red flowers, which hang in clusters and are shaped liked kaka’s a beak. Ngutu meaning beak/lips and Kākā referring to a native parrot of the same name. Being a member of the pea family, Ngutukākā can fix nitrogen, enabling it to grow in infertile sites. Sadly there are now only about 150 plants known to be surviving growing in the wild. Maori used Ngutukākā for gifting and trading.

Fun Fact, we think of Ngutukākā and instantly think of shades of red and crimson, but historically there was a now extinct species which actually have WHITE flowers!

I paired these two together because the Tui loves flowers with sweet nectar (it comes from the bird family referred to as honey eaters) and this beautiful shrub was once a favourite of the Tui. I also thought that because the plant resembles a Kaka, who are very rascally characters suited the also charismatic and at times clownlike behaviours of Tui when they are having a nectar feast!