Over 10 years ago 72 tūī were translocated to Hinewai Reserve and today the future of the Banks Peninsula tūī population is looking promising. The effort required to achieve this has been significant with many different agencies, private landowners, and volunteers working together.

Our Tūī Committee continues to coordinate a community monitoring programme led by ecologist Laura Molles. Each year a number of birds are banded for the purpose of identification and over 170 birds can now be identified from these bands. A list of the recently sighted birds can be found here. 

Support the tūī monitoring programme by reporting a sighting (of banded or unbanded birds) on iNaturalist inaturalist.org or contact us directly with the details by email at enquiries@bpct.org.nz or phone (03) 329 6340. Include a photo of the tūī you’ve sighted if possible.  

Tūī require a mix of tall trees and bushland habitat for nesting and sustainable natural food sources. You can help by planting tūī friendly plants in your garden. Information on the best “Tūī Tucker” can be found here.

Sugar feeders can be beneficial for the tūī when naturally found food sources are low. They can also help attract the birds to your garden. You can find more information about how to safely provide a sugar water feeder in your garden for tūī here.

The greatest challenge faced by the tūī population is predation during the nesting season. By keeping predator numbers low, high breeding success is more likely. Visit Pest Free Banks Peninsula to learn about predator control work happening on the Peninsula.

Coming soon. Visit our Tui Lovers resource page for more information.