Chatham Island tūī
The Chatham Island tūī is a subspecies of the tūī found on mainland New Zealand. It is larger and has longer throat tufts than it's mainland counterpart and the song is also significantly different.Largely confined to Rangatira and Pitt Islands, the Chatham Island tūī has recently been restored to Chatham Island.
Formerly widespread on the Chatham Islands, tūī numbers on Chatham Island declined throughout the 20th century and by 1990 were largely confined to Pitt and Rangatira Islands.
Loss of habitat, predation by feral cats, rodents and possums are likely to have been the main causes of decline of tūī.
Keeping the offshore island habitats of the Chatham Island tūī free of rodents and other predators is a key focus for the department.
If you are travelling to the Chatham Islands, or transporting goods or livestock there, be careful not to introduce pest animals or plants or diseases that might threaten tūī.
Listen to or download a recording of Chatham Island tūī song.
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