Rob Thomson was pottering around his garden last month when a tūī unexpectedly landed on his shoulder.
"I was talking to someone on the phone ... and I said, ‘Oh, sorry, I’ve got to end this call because there’s a tūī on my shoulder’.
"He was very friendly and wanted to lick me - he had a little tongue going in my ear that was incredibly ticklish. He was very friendly."
While Mr Thomson was delighted by the experience, he believed it was probably a bad idea to encourage the bird.
Despite best efforts, the tūī imprinted on humans.
Since being released, the tūī has become quite friendly with the people it sees.
"Even though it was a wonderful experience, I should have discouraged it because it really should be with other tūī rather than people.
"It also means it’s less likely to find food and find a mate and things like that."
The tūī was often seen landing in North East Valley or Opoho properties, or hanging around the Dunedin Botanic Garden.
"We should be discouraging it, even though it’s wonderful, and certainly not feeding or grabbing it," Mr Thomson said.
He was also worried people were feeding the tūī , and if it became too reliant on people and the food they gave it, the tūī might not survive.
