earthling @appassionato@mastodon.social
Public

The is a distinctively iridescent medium-sized bird endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand. they are one of two living members of the honeyeater family found in aoteroa, the other being the less vividly colored korimako. while at first glance the tūī seems to be black overall with small white patches of coloration, in the light it can be seen that the bird is almost entirely iridescent, with vivid green and purples visible in sunlight.

via todaysbird



Males tend to be heavier than females in this species. male tūī are very aggressive, particularly to other males of their species; they will chase all other birds out of their territory with loud flapping and calling. tūī have even been known to mob and pursue larger predatory birds like harriers and magpies. their short, wide wings give them distinctly loud wingbeats that make their travel overhead recognizable to those looking for them. while most of the tūī’s diet consists of nectar, fruit and insects are also regularly consumed, and pollen and seeds are occasional additions to the diet as well. they are the main pollinators of flax in their region, as well as several other plants that rely on them to propagate; flax nectar sometimes ferments, leading to tūī appearing to fly ‘drunkenly’ after feeding. some flowers in the region have evolved alongside the tūī, their flowers now curved to accommodate the bird’s unique bill. tūī have a wide variety of calls and ways to communicate, but they’re also known for being adept at mimicry, like parrots; they can replicate complex human speech along with sounds like glass shattering or car alarms.
0
0
1

If you have a fediverse account, you can quote this note from your own instance. Search https://mastodon.social/users/appassionato/statuses/115886171872073671 on your instance and quote it. (Note that quoting is not supported in Mastodon.)

0
0
0