Colonial names
From the time of Captain Cook’s second arrival to New Zealand in 1772, Europeans have called the tūī by several different names.
Cook’s Second Voyage 1772 - tui »
The first written record for the name tui dates back to Captain Cook’s naturalist, Reinhold Forster.
Cook’s Second Voyage 1772 - pòhe or poe bird »
Georg Forster, another naturalist on Cook’s second voyage, thought the name pòhe or poe bird was used by European sailors.
Early 19th century - mocking bird »
Early European settlers used the name mocking bird because of the bird’s mimicry.
![<h5 style=text-transform:uppercase;margin:0em;>Late 19th century - <em>parson bird</em></h5><p>As the European colony in New Zealand grew, ministers became more common. The tuft of white feathers at the <em>tūī</em>’s throat reminded settlers of the white collar of a minister or parson. The name <em>parson bird</em> became fashionable for the <em>tūī</em>.</p>
<p>In his famous book, The History of the Birds of New Zealand, Walter Buller (1888) described the <em>tūī</em>: “To those familiar with the bird, this name [<em>parson bird</em>] is certainly appropriate; for when indulging in its strain of wild notes it displays these ‘bands’, and gesticulates in a manner forcibly suggestive of the declamatory style of preaching.”</p>](https://oldwww.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/image/0003/118353/varieties/thumb.jpg)
Late 19th century - parson bird »
![<h5 style=text-transform:uppercase;margin:0em;>Late 19th century - <em>parson bird</em></h5><p>As the European colony in New Zealand grew, ministers became more common. The tuft of white feathers at the <em>tūī</em>’s throat reminded settlers of the white collar of a minister or parson. The name <em>parson bird</em> became fashionable for the <em>tūī</em>.</p>
<p>In his famous book, The History of the Birds of New Zealand, Walter Buller (1888) described the <em>tūī</em>: “To those familiar with the bird, this name [<em>parson bird</em>] is certainly appropriate; for when indulging in its strain of wild notes it displays these ‘bands’, and gesticulates in a manner forcibly suggestive of the declamatory style of preaching.”</p>](https://oldwww.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/image/0003/118353/tui-colonial-parson-bird.jpg)
As church ministers became more common in the colony, the name parson bird became fashionable as white tufts or feathers resembled a minister’s collar.
Early 20th century - tui »
By the early 20th century the name parson bird was abandoned in favour of tui.
Early 21st century - tūī »
Since the late 20th century we have added macrons to words such as tūī to show long vowel sounds in Māori.