The New Zealand Tui has a distinctive croaking and gurgling song that can be heard echoing through native bushland in most parts of New Zealand.

The Tui (prosthemadera novaeseelaniae from the family Meliphagidae) has a prominent white tuft at the throat and a white patch on the wing. They are usually dark brown or black with variable metallic blue green colouring.

The Tui is attracted by flowering trees and shrubs and feeds on nectar, fruit, berries and insects and is very territorial and often aggressive toward interlopers. It lays 3-4 pinkish eggs with reddy-brown spots between October and January.

The Tui image (sitting on a kowhai branch) is by J.G.Keuleman and published in Buller's Birds of New Zealand  b y E.G. Turbott  (Editor). Publisher: Inst in Basic Youth; (July 1986) ASIN: 0723300224