Tui Earth Song - print

In the golden hush of a New Zealand evening, two tūī rest among a tangle of blossoms and curling fern fronds. Their wings shimmer like shifting ocean light—deep emerald and midnight blue, each movement catching a hidden streak of sapphire. Soft white throat tufts (poi) glow as if they have captured fragments of moonlight.

Around them, kōwhai flowers spill in buttery yellow, while pōhutukawa blooms flare crimson against a sky alive with swirling sunset hues. The air vibrates with their song of liquid notes, sudden clicks, and sweet, flutelike calls that ripple through the warm breeze.

This is the language of Aotearoa’s wild heart. In every flick of wing and melodic phrase, the tūī carry stories of ancient forests and salt-brushed coasts, a song of resilience and joy that threads the land from mountain to sea. A deep connection to the earth and to ourselves and the true wild spirit of life. 

Inspired by a recent adventure in New Zealand