The Tui's diet mainly consists of nectar, which it collects from flowers using it's long tongue. During breeding season and whenever there is a shortage of nectar-producing flowers they supplement their diet with insects and fruit.
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They are highly territorial and spend a large amount of time noisily chasing rivals off their territories. In flight, the characteristic loud fluttering noise, which is often your first clue that a Tui is in the area, is caused by a notch in the 8th primary creating turbulence around the wingtip.
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The yellow patch often seen on the foreheads of Tuis and Bellbirds is not a plumage feature. It is, in fact, pollen staining. Both Tui and Bellbird are important pollinators for many of New Zealand's native flowering trees and shrubs.
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