Tidy Kiwis and Te Ao Māori - How New Zealand was shaped by birds

Kiwi ecologist and best-selling natural history author Robert Vennell is back with a new book. 

He published his first book seven years ago – 'The meaning of Trees' looking at the history and use of New Zealand's native plants.  

Since then, he's published 'Secrets of the Sea', 'The Forgotten Forest', and just last month released 'Song of the Birds', looking at the history of our native birds. 

In the book, Vennell looks at both how humans have impacted and shaped the lives of birds, and also how birds have shaped the lives of humans. 

"They've shaped our culture, and our, our language, and our worldview in lots of different ways," he told Jack Tame. 

"The book kind of explores the influence of birds on Te Ao Māori, sort of through the culture, through how birds have influenced the language, through whakapapa, through waiata and poetry..."  

"But also how birds have come to be this kind of shared New Zealand identity, a big part of how we think about ourselves is these kinds of distinctive, unique creatures in this little island in the South Pacific."  

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