2. (noun) sentry bird - also a figurative term for a chief.
Ko te manu taupunga ka noho mataara i te wā e kai ana te kāhui. Ka noho te manu taupunga ki te tiaki i te rākau e kainga ana; ki te tata mai he manu kē ki te kai, ka panaa e ia (Te Ara 2011). / The sentry bird stands guard while the flock is eating. The sentry bird would guard the tree where they were eating, and if other birds approached to eat, it drove them away.
Synonyms: manu taki, manu tāiko