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Māori names

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The name kōkō is one of many names that the tūī has. There are also 13 other Māori names recorded for this bird species: kōkōtaua; kōkōtea; kōkōuri; kōpūrehe; kouwha; kukari; pikari; pitui; tākaha; takahē; tataki; teoteo; tute. These other names reflect differences in the birds based on sex, region and season.

Māori names distinguish male tūī from females

The male tūī are bigger and have more vivid plumage than females. In Māori, tute and tākaha are male tūī, and teoteo are female tūī.

Male tūī or kōkō are typically larger and have more vibrant plumage than the females, so different Māori names are used to distinguish between them.

Tute and tākaha were the names used for the male birds, whilst teoteo was used for females

Māori names can vary by region

In Waiapu area (on the East Cape), tātākī is said to denote a large tūī, a male bird. The male has a larger white tuft and more white feathering on the collar than the female.

In Waiapu area (on the East Cape), tātākī is said to denote a large tūī, a male bird. The male has a larger white tuft and more white feathering on the collar than the female.

Māori names can reflect the flowering season

In Whakatāne, male and female bird names vary depending on which plants are flowering

Some names are linked to seasonal patterns. In the Mataatua tribal area, male kōkō are called kōpūrehe and females kouwha from the time the kōtukutuku (or native fuchsia, Fuchsia excorticata) flowers until the fruiting of the hīnau (or Elaeocarpus dentatus, a tall forest tree).

Māori names can reflect the fruiting season

In Whakatāne, male and female bird names vary depending on which plants are fruiting.

After the hīnau (or Elaeocarpus dentatus, a tall forest tree) have finished fruiting, male kōkō are called kōkōuri and females kōkōtea in the Mataatua tribal area.