It's Te Wiki o te Reo Māori / Māori Language Week and to celebrate, from Monday - Saturday this week our zoo crew will be sharing a different word that relates to the birds at Auckland Zoo.
Follow along with us and practise with your whānau!
You can find more resources to learn and celebrate te reo this week here .
Our kupu o te rā / word of the day today is manu – birds. Highlighting all of the incredible native manu we have in Te Wao Nui, our sanctuary for Aotearoa wildlife.
Our kupu o te rā / word of the day today is takahē. We have a pair of takahē at the zoo – female Whito which is te reo for ‘little’ and Bligh who is named after Bligh Sound in Fiordland. Follow along with us and practice your reo!
Our kupu o te rā / word of the day today is whio! Kiwis will recognise this iconic bird as it’s featured on New Zealand’s $10 note. These beautiful endemic ducks get their te reo name, whio in the North Island or ko whio whio in the South Island, due to the sound the males produce. Follow along with us and practise your reo!
Our kupu o te rā / word of the day today is kākāpō! This nocturnal, flightless parrot is endemic to Aotearoa and with a population of 201 birds, every kākāpō is precious! We’re proud to be conservation partners with Kākāpō Recovery, providing veterinary support for kākāpō at our on-site Vet Hospital, as well as assisting with health checks and transmitter changes across their three sanctuary islands. Follow along with us and practise your reo!
Our kupu o te rā / word of the day today is kererū, and these endemic pigeons are also known as kūkū or kūkupa in Northland. Essential for the health of our native forests, kererū are the only birds on mainland Aotearoa that can eat and disperse the seeds of large fruits, like tawa, taraire and matai. Today marks the first day of the Great Kererū Count – the annual citizen science project that gathers data on the abundance and distribution of this important species. Cast your eyes to the skies and see how many kererū you can spot! Learn more at greatkererucount.nz
Our kupu o te rā / word of the day today is kea – the only truly alpine parrot in the world! We’ve had a conservation partnership with Kea Conservation Trust since 2009 and for the past four years we’ve helped to support their monitoring programme in Matukituki Valley, assessing kea populations and documenting the risk from predators to these incredible parrots.
