Tiritiri Matangi Kids,

by Stacey

As you walk along the wharf towards Tiritiri Matangi Island you will start to hear the bird song from some of Aotearoa's most vulnerable manu/birds. Match up the manu with their names and fill in the gaps in the descriptions below. Have fun!

Beaks have various functions and these include defending themselves, grooming their feathers, attracting other manu, regulating their body temperature, building nests and feeding themselves and their young

Draw a line to connect each manu to its name

pīwakawaka/ fantail

Looking at the photos of the manu fill in the gaps in the text below

A Out of all of the manu in the Aotearoa ngahere/ forest the beak of the opens the widest This enables them to swallow, digest and distribute large fruit and seeds of the karaka and other trees

B The have very strong beaks and use them to snip softer grasses and herbs They hold a blade of grass down with their foot and expose the inner core by removing the tough outer sheaf This is the most nutritious part They graze from the side so that the growing shoots are not damaged

pāteke/ brown teal

C. The use their beak for climbing, as well as crushing and cutting objects for food. They are responsible for chopping up flax flowers that can be seen on Tiritiri Matangi. They chew the flower to get the nectar, giving nothing back to the plant unlike the tūī and korimako who pollinate as they eat.

Kiwi

pukupuku/ little spotted kiwi

D The has a curved, long beak with a fine brush-tipped tongue This allows them to extract nectar from the putiputi/ flowers in the ngahere as well as pollinating the flowers

E The has small bristles around its beak to help direct the insects in for dinner. They also use their beaks to search for insects that hide in cracks in the bark of trees. They will hang upside down, on the underside of tree fern fronds, looking for moths that might be hiding there.

Takah

kōtare/ kingfisher

F. The has special strong lamellae that help them sieve through material quickly for food. Lamellae are small, comb-like structures along the inside of the bill They act as a sieve and can look like teeth

G The has a broad, long and pointed beak which helps them to catch their prey by entering the water without creating a wave or noise In grassland they can be seen perching on high vantage points searching for prey such as insects and skinks

H. The has nostrils at the end of its beak to enable it to search for food. It does this by probing its beak into the soil in search of insects.

Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi

The Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi (SoTM) is a volunteer Incorporated Society that works closely with the Department of Conservation to make the most of the wonderful conservation restoration project that is Tiritiri Matangi. Every year volunteers put thousands of hours into the project and raise funds through donations, guiding and our Island-based gift shop. If you’d like to share in this exciting project, membership is just $25 for a single adult, family or corporate; $30 if you are overseas; and $13 for children or students. Dawn Chorus, our magazine, is sent out to members every quarter. See www.tiritirimatangi. org.nz or contact PO Box 90-814 Victoria St West, Auckland.

SoTM Committee

Chairperson: Carl Hayson chairperson@tiritirimatangi.org.nz, 027 3397105

Secretary: Gloria Nash secretary@tiritirimatangi.org.nz

Treasurer: Peter Lee treasurer@tiritirimatangi.org.nz

Committee: Stacey Balich, Hester Cooper, Barry Fraser, Rachel Goddard, Val Lee, Jane Thompson, Ray Walter and Michael Watson

Operations manager: Debbie Marshall opsmanager@tiritirimatangi.org.nz

Interim guiding manager: Kim Briggs guiding@tiritirimatangi.org.nz, 09 476 0010

Membership: Rose Coveny membership@tiritirimatangi.org.nz

Educator: Barbara Hughes

Assistant educator: Liz Maire educator@tiritirimatangi.org.nz

Fundraiser: Juliet Hawkeswood fundraiser@tiritirimatangi.org.nz

Social Media: Stacey Balich socialmedia@tiritirimatangi.org.nz

Dawn Chorus editor: Lyn Barnes editor@tiritirimatangi.org.nz, 021 407 820

Island ranger: Talia Hochwimmer tiritirimatangi@doc.govt.nz, 09 476 0920

Coming Events

4-5 March

Supporters’ Weekend

Saturday 4 March

Concert for the Birds

Monday 13 March 7.30pm

SoTM Social Fickling Convention Centre

546 Mt Albert Rd, Three Kings

Reptiles on Tiritiri Matangi – Projects Past, Present and Future

Roger Wallace & Malcolm de Raat

Easter Working Weekend

Friday April 7- Monday April 10

April 30

Photo Competition closes

Working Weekends are a chance for members to give the Island a hand. Travel is free, as is accommodation in the bunkhouse. Book through guiding@tiritirimatangi.org.nz

For the latest information on events on the Island, visit the SoTM website www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz