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May

2026

The Mournful Ladies

Gerald McCormack, CINHT

Mournful Gecko and Parent species – J. Newsome

The Mournful Gecko (Lepidodactylus lugubris), about 80mm from nose to tail-tip, is the most common household lizard in the Cook Islands and throughout the Pacific. Like other gecko lizards, it hides during the day and hunts insects at night, especially on walls near lights. It has wide toes with minute hairs underneath, which enable it to climb seemingly smooth vertical surfaces and to walk upside-down on ceilings.

Although Mournful Geckos usually congregate together, they give noisy “CHIK-CHIK-CHIK-CHIK-CHIK-CHIK” calls to warn each other to keep a suitable distance, and they follow up with a vigorous physical attack when the warning is ignored. Continue reading →

May

2026

The Paiere of Maºuke

Gerald McCormack, CINHT

Paiere diagram – Judith Künzle

The one-man fishing canoe (paiere) of Maºuke, is almost identical to those of ºÄtiu and Mitiºäro, the other two islands of Ngäpütoru.

The hull of the canoe, also called paiere, is a dug-out log about 4 metres long. The preferred wood is Tamanu (Beauty-leaf, Calophyllum inophyllum), although Puka (Lantern Tree, Hernandia nymphaeifolia) and Tou (Pacific Rosewood, Thespesia populnea) are traditional substitutes. Nowadays, introduced Mango (Vï, Mangifera indica) and Albizia (ºArapitia, Albizia lebbeck) are also commonly used. Continue reading →

May

2026

The Three Rats

Gerald McCormack, CINHT,

Pacific rat, Adult – Cook Islands, Rarotonga – Gerald McCormack

When the Polynesians first sailed through the Cook Islands, probably more than 2000 years ago, they carried the Pacific Rat, also called the Polynesian Rat (Kiore, Rattus exulans). Whether they carried it accidently, or purposefully, is unknown. Either way, the Kiore established itself throughout Polynesia, and was often used as a source of food. Continue reading →

May

2026

Red-tailed Tropicbird, Tavake

Adult in flight – Cook Islands, Takūtea – Gerald McCormack

Gerald McCormack, CINHT

The Red-tailed Tropicbird (Tavake Phaethon rubricauda) is a snow-white seabird with a red bill and slender red tail. It nests during the winter months in moderate numbers on the cliffs behind Avarua and is often seen flying over the island. It has a raucous call and performs dramatic loop-the-loop courtship displays. The largest Cook Islands colonies are on Takutea (near Atiu), Suwarrow, and Palmerston and a small population on Mā’ina-iti, Aitutaki.

It is a rare nester on most peopled-atolls because it is a favourite traditional food and domestic dogs often disturb the nests. Palmerston is an interesting exception because the tropicbird remains common despite more than a hundred years of harvesting. The secret of its survival has been that Palmerston islanders harvest the “mature” nestlings only every 28^th day, and enough fledge between harvests to maintain the colony.

Continue reading →

May

2026

Moa Kirikiri – the Pacific Fruit-bat

Gerald McCormack, CINHT,

Pacific Fruit-bat, Adult in flight 1 – Tonga, Tongatapu – Gerald McCormack

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 New Caledonia and Vanuatu, is the most widespread species in the South Pacific. This situation is reflected in the name South Pacific Fruit-bat, although it is also known as the Tonga Fruit-bat, White-necked Fruit-bat and Insular Fruit-bat. Continue reading →

The Mournful Ladies

The Paiere of Maºuke

The Three Rats

Red-tailed Tropicbird, Tavake

Moa Kirikiri – the Pacific Fruit-bat

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