The Tui is an endemic passerine bird of New Zealand. It is one of the largest members of the diverse honeyeater family. Nectar is the normal diet but fruit and insects are frequently eaten, and pollen and seeds more occasionally.
Tuis prefer broadleaf forests below 1500 metres. but will tolerate quite small remnant patches, regrowth, exotic plantations and well-vegetated suburbs.
The fantail (Maori name: Piwakawaka) is one of New Zealand’s best known birds, as it is one of the few native bird species in New Zealand that has been able to adapt to an environment greatly altered by humans.
In Maori mythology, the piwakawaka is a messenger, bringing news of death from the gods to the people.