Why do they matter?
Image courtesy of Pei Jones Collection.
Māori bird names provide a unique New Zealand flavour to bird monitoring and reporting. They also help us appreciate the characteristics of birds and their history in the region.
Using Māori names recognises the Māori language, an official language in New Zealand, and the relationship between tangata whenua and birds. It also reflects our ‘New Zealand’ identity – most of us wouldn’t know what a parson-bird is, but would recognise its Māori name, tūī.
Every culture has developed its own indigenous knowledge for naming and classifying animals and plants. In Māori society, naming is a relationship which establishes and reinforces connections, identity and place. Names pay tribute to mauri, acknowledge mana, and transmit knowledge.
Birds have been an important part of life for Māori for generations. They have been harvested as a food source, and their feathers used for cloaks. Birds are also often used as indicators of other events, such as seasonal changes.
Māori bird names often reflect the bird’s plumage, call or behaviour.