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To the Beauty of Birds

The Tui Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae was one of the most delightful and beautiful of the New Zealand birds and has a wondrous song (see MOVIES).
The Tui is an endemic passerine bird of New Zealand. It is one of the largest members of the diverse honeyeater family.
The name Tui is from the Maori language and is the species' formal common name. The plural is Tuis, or simply 'tui' following Māori usage. The English name, Parson Bird, has fallen into disuse but came about because at first glance the bird appears completely black except for a small tuft of white feathers at its neck and a small white wing patch, causing it to resemble a parson in clerical attire.
On closer inspection Tuis have faded browner patches on the back and flanks, a multicoloured iridescent sheen that varies with the angle from which the light strikes them, and a dusting of small, white-shafted feathers on the back and sides of the neck that produce a lacy collar.
Tuis are considered to be very intelligent, much like parrots. They also resemble parrots in their ability to clearly imitate human speech and are known for their noisy, unusual call, different for each individual, that combine bellbird-like notes with clicks, cackles, timber-like creaks and groans, and wheezing sounds—unusually for a bird, they have two voiceboxes and this is what enables them to perform such a myriad of vocalizations.
Some of the huge range of tui sounds are beyond the human register. Watching a tui sing, one can observe gaps in the sound when the beak is agape and throat tufts throbbing. Tuis will also sing at night, especially around the full moon period.

These photos were taken at Tiritiri Matanagi and Stewart Island. Photo 5597 was taken at the Gannet Colony, Muriwai Beach.

Photo 5888 and 5891 show photos of Tiritiri Matanagi Island. Photos 9621 show yours truly and at the right Gail Gerber our tour guide. Photos 5883 and 728 show Mrs. Yours Truly, Sally Comings.

See the MOVIE folder in ComingsBirds/NewZealand for the Tui songs.

Tui

Tui 5597

Tui 9813

Tui 6231

Tui 9808

Tui 6179

Tui 6208

Tui 4467

Tui 6234

Tui 7964

Tui B 2719

Tur 6273

Sally at Tiritiri Matanagi 5883

Sally Hansen Comings 728

Tiritiri Matanagi 5888 s

Tiritiri Matanagi 5891 s