Tumatakuru

Key Details: Unknown (Adult), Male, V-2926
Area: Waimakariri
Band Combo: Black AW on White

Probably a Male Adult kea — Photo by Tina Davies

Tumatakuru was banded as a young fledgling at the Otira Viaduct Lookout near Arthur's Pass during July 2020. He turned up one day in July with about 10-15 other young kea fledgings; one who was found with a broken leg and one was found dead the next day - both unfortunate, yet all-too-common occurrences in areas like this where kea, cars and humans interact. Tumatakuru is a New Zealand shrub or tree (Discaria toumatou) of the family Rhamnaceae having stout sharp spines used by the Maori for tattooing. The more commonly known name for this plant is matagouri, or wild irishman. The sharp claws and beak that sometimes pierce human skin while we band them is similar to the way that this plant digs into you when walking around in the New Zealand back country. Both plant and kea are iconic components of the New Zealand high country and both are under threat from human-induced landscape modification and associated impacts.

Tumatakuru

Observations

#10148

#10107

#10066

#10057

#10045

#10025

#9977

#9876

#9720

#9706

#9694

#9639

#9629

#9618

#9574

#9542

#9535

#9590

#9453

#9413

#9385

#9365

#8914

#8708

#8684

#8677

#8603

#8577

#8557

#8547

#8546

#8521

#8520

#8468

#8431

#8398

#8392

#9226

#8374

#8375

#8312

#8313

#8288

#8285

#8104

#8103

#8855

#8055

#8048

#7993

#7945

#7933

#8126

#8024

#7906

#7890

#7878

#7900

#7811

#7787

#7821