Morepork

The Morepork, also known by its Maori name Ruru, is New Zealand's only widely recognized native owl, closely related to the Australian Southern Boobook and formerly considered part of the same species. Its name is onomatopoeic, echoing its repeated call heard across the country at night.

It occupies native forest, exotic plantations, and scrubland throughout New Zealand, including offshore islands, and is one of the few native land birds that remains common and widespread despite the country's history of introduced predators.

Its dark brown, mottled plumage provides effective camouflage while roosting in dense foliage by day, and it holds cultural significance in Maori tradition as a symbol associated with watchfulness.

Size and shape

Small feathers from a bird about 27-30 cm long, with rounded wings and a banded tail typical of Ninox owls.

Color and pattern

• Upperparts are dark brown, mottled with pale buff or cream spotting.
• Underparts are buff with brown streaking, similar in pattern to the closely related Southern Boobook.
• The tail is dark brown with several narrow pale bars.
• Shafts are pale brown.

Distinguishing from similar species

Morepork feathers closely resemble those of the Southern Boobook, as the two were once considered the same species, but the Morepork is restricted to New Zealand while the boobook occurs in Australia, so location is the most reliable distinguishing clue.

Adults are dark brown above with pale buff mottling, and buff below with brown streaking. Sexes look alike, with females slightly larger. Juveniles are paler and downier with less defined markings. Molt follows breeding on an annual cycle.

This species is found throughout New Zealand, including many offshore islands, in native forest, exotic plantations, and scrubland. It is resident and largely sedentary, holding territories year-round.

Moreporks hunt insects, small birds, and small mammals at night, often from a perch within forest or scrub. They roost by day in dense foliage or tree cavities. The call is a repeated two-note 'more-pork' or 'ru-ru,' giving rise to both its common English name and its Maori name. Nests are placed in tree hollows or occasionally on the ground among dense vegetation. When identifying a feather, look for dark brown, buff-mottled upperparts and streaked buff underparts, in a small overall size, and consider that the species is confined to New Zealand.