Box of Voices
Blogger: Campaign Manager for the tui, Singer/songwriter Anna Coddington
I live in a pretty standard house in Western Springs, Auckland. I really like it here. One of my favourite things about this place is that the owners planted a few native trees round about the place (a kowhai out front, a karaka and some harakeke out back), and as a result we get loads of beautiful birds singing away.
Tui, Photo: Adam Colley
My partner Ned and I used to be in the room that leads out into the back yard and the bird song would come thick and strong every morning, which was great unless you were really hungover, but even then it’s kinda nice.
Now we’re in the room that looks out on to the front yard and the kowhai tree. There’s another tree that taps against our window when it’s breezy, and when it’s sunny a friendly little tui hangs out in there and watches us through the window. He’s so cool and I like to think that we’re friends with him, but he probably just looks at us and thinks “God how awful to be inside under all those blankets on a day like this, you weirdos”, or maybe I’m just projecting.
So I’m campaigning for TUI for bird of the year! Since agreeing to do it I’ve done a bit of reading up and found out some awesome facts about tuis…
1) They are pretty staunch! They’ll bring the ruckus to any other bird that tries to step onto their turf (that is, perch upon their tree) and eat their secret stash, even if that bird is bigger than them. I love food and eating, so I can relate to that for sure.
2) They like to party it up! They drink up from the flax flowers and sometimes when the nectar ferments they get pissed and go flying. It’s a bit naughty but I’m sure the casualties from drunk, flying tui are pretty minimal.
3) They are also the main pollinators of neat plants like flax, kowhai, kaka beak and more, AND they have evolved so that their beaks are the perfect shape for tucking into that kai. Streamlined. Efficient. Excellent qualities for any bird.
4) They have two voice boxes and can imitate human sounds parrot-style, but I imagine way less screechy.
And check this quote out, “Tui or Koko, was of great importance to Maori …. Apart from potted tui being a favourite food, they were very often kept in cages and trained to speak and even welcome people to a marae. Many of these birds were famous and even fought over”.
Amazing! They also bust tunes beyond our mere human range of hearing. Ned likes to think he can communicate with them and I admit he does do a pretty good impression of the “whistle, whistle, click, click, click”, and occasionally gets their attention.
On top of those facts we all know that tui have beautiful black/blue/green, sheeny feathers with that cool white bit at the throat like an old school ruffled shirt. If I could make an outfit like that I would wear it at every gig. They are friendly yet staunch, inquisitive yet nonchalant. They are lone wolves roaming the skies, fighting for their rights and helping native plants flourish! Vote for the Tui! Tuu-i! Tuu-i! Tuu-i! TUU-I! TUU-I!
– Anna
Website::: www.annacoddington.com
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