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Story: Te tāhere manu – bird catching

Pātua

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Pātua

Pātua were containers made from the inner bark of the tōtara tree. They were often used to preserve birds in their own fat. The pātua was then covered with leaves and a flat piece of bark, and placed in the pātaka (storehouse).

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Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira

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How to cite this page

Basil Keane, Te tāhere manu – bird catching – Seasons, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/11965/patua (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Basil Keane, published 2 March 2009.