Moa Kirikiri – the Pacific Fruit-bat12/05/2026Gerald McCormack, CINHT, The Moa Kirikiri lives on Mangaia and Rarotonga and is often called a flying-fox, although it is not closely related to the fox. It is really a bat, a fruit-eating bat. Our Pacific Fruit-bat (Pteropus tonganus), which lives on many islands from the Cook Islands westward to [continue reading…]- The Half-flower’s Many Names11/05/2026Gerald McCormak, CINHT, One of the most widespread and conspicuous coastal shrubs in the Cook Islands has bright green, fleshy, hand-sized leaves; small white flowers, and grape-sized white fruit. The English name Half-flower (Scaevola taccada), although not widely used, refers to the fact that the [continue reading…]
- The Strangler Vine of Rarotonga11/05/2026Gerald McCormack, CINHT, Weeds are plants growing in the wrong place; plants which take time, effort and money to control. The weeds of taro plots, lawns, home gardens and horticultural areas are often encountered and well known. Less obvious are weeds which damage the native forests of inland [continue reading…]
- Beware of the Oleanders11/05/2026Gerald McCormack, CINHT Yellow Oleander is an ornamental tree from tropical America, which is widespread in the Southern Cooks. It has yellow, funnel-like flowers, which develop into angular fruit, about 5cm across. The tree has attractive hanging foliage and grows to about 5 metres in height. The [continue reading…]
- A Tree, a Bird and a Beetle11/05/2026Gerald McCormack, CINHT, The Neinei tree of Rarotonga has such a spectacular flower that the tree itself is often called the Pua Neinei (Flower-of-the-Neinei). The Neinei (Rarotonga Fitchia) is a small tree common in the mountains, from the base of low valleys to the top of the highest mountains. [continue reading…]
- The Blue Lorikeet (Kurāmo‘o) of Aitutaki06/05/2026Gerald McCormack, CINHT The Blue Lorikeet (Vini peruviana ) is a native bird of French Polynesia, formerly existing on about twenty islands in the Society Islands (including Tahiti) and the northern Tuamotu atolls. In recent years it has been lost from Tahiti and all the main Society Islands, [continue reading…]
- Toa – Pacific Ironwood06/05/2026Gerald McCormack, CINHT The Toa (Ironwood) of the Cook Islands, Casuarina equisetifolia, is a native tree of Malaysia, Australia and some islands in the western Pacific. It was probably spread eastward through Southern Polynesia by the ancient Polynesian settlers, and now grows naturally on many [continue reading…]
