Tui Report

The tui is a bird that has black feathers.  It has a white tuft of feathers under its chin.

The tui is found everywhere in New Zealand and the off-shore islands.  They like places that have nice flowers with nectar.  They live in the forest and scrub.  They also live in open country and gardens.  In the spring the birds may travel outside their normal territory to feed.

The tui is the first bird to sing in the morning.  Their calls can go very high and very low.  Tui make bell like notes, croaks, coughs and squeaks.

They like to eat berries, fruit, insects and nectar.  Young tui are fed tiny insects and nectar for their first few days.  Slightly older chicks are fed berries, moths, spiders, and large insects.  They really like stick insects.

The parents move to off-shore islands to build their nest.  Normally they lay 2 to 4 eggs.  It takes two weeks for the eggs to hatch.  The bird only nest in November and December.