Silvereye Sadie

Meet the Tauhou, also known as the White-eye, a charming visitor to both Australia and New Zealand's gardens. These petite birds wear many hats, but their most important role is that of a pollinator extraordinaire!

Tauhou are like tiny garden superheroes with their diverse diet – they enjoy fruit, nectar, and even tiny native invertebrates.

But what really puts them in the spotlight is their gig as pollinators. Their tiny slender beaks dart between flowers, transferring precious pollen from one bloom to another. It's like they have a secret handshake with the plants, ensuring that essential traits are swapped around. Talk about boosting plant reproduction and keeping genetic diversity on point!

Now, let's unveil some Tauhou titbits:

• Tauhou are the only birds in New Zealand that also call mainland Australia home. They're like avian globetrotters!
• If you hear a metallic 'tink' in the garden, chances are it's our Tauhou friends making their unique sounds.
• Their diet is an eclectic mix of fruit, insects, spiders, small arthropods, and sugary nectar – a true gourmet feast!
• Tauhou aren't picky about their hangout spots; you can find them in gardens, forests, wetlands, and even alpine regions. They're the ultimate habitat explorers!

Plants to attract Tauhou:

• Kōwhai
• Fuscia
• Pōhutukawa
• Wineberry
• Kawakawa

Resources

To keep native birds coming to your garden, it’s important to control predators such as rats, stoats and weasels.  

Predator Free New Zealand has created a handy resource on how to choose the correct trap. To learn more about trapping in Upper Hutt, check out Pest Free Upper Hutt's Facebook page.