Morepork Information Report

What are they

Morepork or Ruru is a native bird to New Zealand.  Moreporks are nocturnal birds; that means that they sleep during the day and are awake at night. Moreporks are a small type of owl. Unlike most native birds Moreporks are not endangered.

What they look like

Moreporks are all different shades of brown with white patches all over their bodies. Moreporks have big kōwhai (yellow) eyes which help them see in the dark.  Moreporks have lots of fluffy feathers to keep them warm in the winter.

Where they are found

Moreporks are found in forests all of New Zealand. Moreporks are uncommon in Eastern areas in New Zealand.  Moreporks are endemic to New Zealand; that means that they can only be found in New Zealand.

Their feeding behaviour

Moreporks eat a variety of different things including small animals,  large insects, small birds, small mammals, mice rats, and lizards. To catch their prey they fly silently then swoop down and grab them with their talons and beak.

Moreporks can turn their heads 270° which helps them know if anything is sneaking up behind them.

Breeding

Moreporks breed in Raumati (summer) and Koanga (Spring). Moreporks normally build their nests in dead or alive trees and broken logs. They have one-three eggs at a time. Both of the adults look after and feed the baby chicks. Usually only one out of the three chicks Will Survive because of what they are eating and the other two will probably get eaten by predators.

Threats

The Moreporks predators are Rats, possums, pigs, hedgehogs, Cats and mustelids (stoats and ferrets). They protect themselves by using their sharp beaks and using their long sharp talons. The man-made threats are that we are chopping down trees which is making It harder for them to find a place to build their nests. To fix this we can plant more trees So they have more places to build their nests and we can try to kill all of their predators to help keep them alive.

By Mackenzie.