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 »
![<h5 style=text-transform:uppercase;margin:0em;>Māori names distinguish male <em>tūī</em> from females</h5><p>Male <em>tūī</em> or <em>kōkō</em> are typically larger and have more vibrant plumage than the females, so different Māori names are used to distinguish between them.</p>
<p><em>Tute</em> and <em>tākaha</em> were the names used for the male birds, whilst <em>teoteo</em> was used for females</p>](https://oldwww.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/image/0018/118233/varieties/thumb.jpg)
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.
Māori names can vary by region »
![<h5 style=text-transform:uppercase;margin:0em;>Māori names can vary by region</h5><p>In Waiapu area (on the East Cape), <em>tataki</em> is said to denote a large <em>tūī</em>, a male bird. The male has a larger white tuft and more white feathering on the collar than the female.</p>](https://oldwww.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/image/0020/118235/varieties/thumb.jpg)
In Waiapu area (on the East Cape), tataki describes large male birds
Māori names can reflect the flowering season »
![<h5 style=text-transform:uppercase;margin:0em;>Māori names can reflect the flowering season</h5><p>Some names are linked to seasonal patterns. In the Mataatua tribal area, male <em>kōkō</em> are called <em>kōpūrehe</em> and females <em>kouwha</em> from the time the kōtukutuku (or native fuchsia, <em>Fuchsia excorticata</em>) flowers until the fruiting of the hīnau (or <em>Elaeocarpus dentatus</em>, a tall forest tree).<br /></p>](https://oldwww.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/image/0004/118237/varieties/thumb.jpg)
In Whakatāne, male and female bird names vary depending on which plants are flowering
Māori names can reflect the fruiting season »
![<h5 style=text-transform:uppercase;margin:0em;>Māori names can reflect the fruiting season</h5><p>After the hīnau (or <em>Elaeocarpus dentatus</em>, a tall forest tree) have finished fruiting, male <em>kōkō</em> are called <em>kōkōuri</em> and females <em>kōkōtea</em> in the Mataatua tribal area.</p>](https://oldwww.landcareresearch.co.nz/__data/assets/image/0003/118236/varieties/thumb.jpg)
In Whakatāne, male and female bird names vary depending on which plants are fruiting.