Sunday 18 September 2016

Collective noun for the Tui - a cacophony, a chorus, a nuisance??

Some years ago in its wisdom the City Council suggested that residents plant flowering trees, especially flowering native trees,  to encourage the native Tui to return to urban areas and to increase the population of this beautiful bird.

The beauty of the bird is not in question.   Undoubtedly the flowering trees make Spring in Auckland a sight to behold.   But the cacophony of tuis that has resulted drives inner city residents mad each Spring.

Glistening iridescent wings swoosh past unsuspecting heads.  Raucous birds have no internal volume control.  Nor is their time clock set for dawn and their chorus starts well before that.

Today I stood at my window looking at the flowering Kowhai tree in my garden and caught a culprit on camera.

A very pretty noise!!

3 comments:

Jocelyn is Canadian Needle Nana said...

Love your little project and I checked out your Christmas Chook...very cute. I think your tuis sound like our grackles and look like them too. They make a sound like rusty hinges and fly about in very noisy flocks and most people don't like them. I think from what you say, you could call them a 'murder' of tuis (like crows).

Rowyn said...

I love the Tuis, and counted 8 in one of our flowering Kowhai trees the other day. You got a great photo!

Chris said...

Hello Margaret, what a beautiful tree to have in your garden and are your tuis like our crows, loud and squawky ? Glad you enjoyed your break away. This summer I met up with an email friend who lives in Wanganui and was visiting her daughter and family in UK. We caught up chatting for hours, so nice to see her again. Your spring time is arriving while we are just starting our Autumn, we can't complain as we have had a very hot and sunshiny summer. Keep Well Margaret and your mum.