"The sea bird named kukuru toua, which follows the sooty tern sequence, has not been identified so far (Fuentes 1960:239). The addition toua indicates the color of the egg yolk, while the first word seems to indicate the Polyesian word for pigeon (MQS. kuku; MAO., RAR., TUA., kukupa; TAH. 'u'upa; MGV. kukuororangi; TON. kulukulu). In a recitation, the following is said about this bird:

ka riti te hupee	How it flows from the nose when he cries
(paringi te matavai)	(y derrama lágrimas)
o te kukuru toua	of the yellow Kukuru
eve pepepepe	with the very short tail.
(Barthel 1960:854; addition by Campbell 1971:404)

The Metoro chants contain two additional fragments:

kua hupe ma te maitaki

kua rere te manu vae oho

ku pepepepe te manu kukurutou

......

eaha te huri

o te manu kukurutou

ko te manu eve pepepepe

(Barthel 1958:177, 188)

While the spelling of the name is slightly different, in this instance too, the very short tail (eve pepepepe) is mentioned. The bird in question might conceivably be Diomedea melanophrys, an albatross with black lids, or even Diomedea chlororhyncos, the yellow-beaked albatross. In this case, kukuru toua would describe the peculiar shape of the beak (compare the 'tubular noses' of petrels) and its yellow color, while eve pepepepe seems to refer to the relatively short tail of the powerful bird. If this identification is correct, then the albatross is ranked after the sooty tern, who is the object of a cult, but ahead of the frigate bird; and because of his size, the albatross precedes the following enumeration of sea birds." (Barthel 2)

Here there is much to consider. Barthel's idea of the size of the bird being significant is reasonable. A great (Herculean) 'fire' should be represented by a good-sized bird. We remember the small lead-coloured Saturn-bird tavi at the end of the list.

top
*he kukuru toua*	*he makohe*	*he kena*	*he tavake*

descending
*he ruru*	*he taiko*	*he kumara*	*he kiakia*

renewal
*he tuvi*	*he taiko*	*he tavi*

The very short tail of this great bird probably means it has a short life span. Maybe his tail ends with the arrival of the black makohe, and his spirit (pepe) will then leave.

Pepe

1. A sketch. 2. Bench, chair, couch, seat, sofa, saddle; here pepe, mau pepe, to saddle; noho pepe, a tabouret. Pepepepe, bedstead. 3. Pau.: butterfly. Ta.: pepe, id. Mq.: pepe, id. Sa.: pepe, id. Ma.: pepe, a moth; pepererau, fin, Mgv.: pererau, wing. Ta.: pereraru, id. Ma.: parirau, id. Churchill.

Sa.: pepe, a butterfly, a moth, to flutter about. Nukuoro, Fu., Niuē, Uvea, Fotuna, Nuguria, Ta., Mq.: pepe, a butterfly. Ma.: pepe, a grup, a moth; pepepepe, a butterfly; pepeatua, a species of butterfly. To.: bebe, a butterfly. Vi.: mbèbè, a butterfly. Rotumā: pep, id. Churchill 2.

Mq.: Pepepepe, low, flat. Ha.: pepepe, id. Churchill.

If toua means yellow, then his spirit should be a butter-fly. But I think another interpretation is more to the point, viz. the fertile land which has recovered from the season of 'straw':

Tou

In ancient times, a tou was someone who had recovered from an epidemic, but whose illness meant that someone else in the family had to die. The tou were regarded as portents of evil. Toutou, lush; fertile (land). Toûa: Egg yolk; the colour yellow; soft, fibrous part of tree bark; toûa mahute, mahute fibres. Vanaga.

Toua: Wrath, anger, rage, revenge, battle, combat, debate, dispute, dissension, uprising, revolt, quarrel, fight, hostility (taua); toua rae, to provoke, rae toua, to open hostilities, toua kakai, to rebuke, tuki toua, to stir up dissension; totoua, hostility; hakatoua, fighter, warrior. P Mgv.: toua, war, battle. Mq.: toua, war, dispute, quarrel. The form with o is found only in these three languages, taua is found in the general migration, Rapanui is the only speech which has both. Toutou, fertile (tautau); hakatoutou, to fertilize. Mq.: taútaú, fertile. Toùvae, to run; hakauruuru toùvae, id. Churchill.

Expressed in glyphs the fully grown warrior (hakatoua) probably is tagata:

The yellow Kukuru should be the personification of Spring Sun. When he leaves abruptly after a short lifespan, there will be tears. He will be struck by a fin like Kuukuu, the planter.

... No sooner had he pushed her up and lifted her completely off the ground when she struck Kuukuu with one fin. She struck downward and broke Kuukuu's spine. The turtle got up, went back into the (sea) water, and swam away. All the kinsmen spoke to you (i.e. Kuukuu): 'Even you did not prevail against the turtle!'

His spine will snap like the sika (= teka?) of Tu'i Tofua and the 'turtle' will then return to the sea.

The planetary time is Mercury and he is not visible for more than a short while (he has a short tail). Mercury is the young reckless driver of the solar chariot who ends at the bottom of the sea (eve):

Eve

1. Placenta, afterbirth (eeve). T Pau.: eve, womb. Ta.: eve, placenta. Ma.: ewe, id. Haw.: ewe, navel string. 2. The rear; taki eeve, the buttocks; hakahiti ki te eeve, to show the buttocks; pupuhi eve, syringe. 3. The bottom of the sea. Churchill.