Morepork

The morepork, or ruru, is New Zealand’s own little native owl. It is a small, dark brown bird of the forest with big, round, watchful eyes. It is a gentle night bird, and if you are quiet and patient in the evening you might hear it long before you ever see it, calling softly from among the trees.

The morepork gets its name from the lovely two-note call it makes: a soft “more-pork” that floats through the forest after dark. It is one of the most peaceful sounds of a New Zealand night. This call is how the ruru lets other moreporks know where it is as it moves quietly through its patch of woodland.

Moreporks are surprisingly chatty for such a shy owl. As well as the “more-pork” call, they can make as many as eleven different sounds, including little yelps, a whistle, and a low rumbling “quork-quork”. Each call is a different way of talking to family members and neighbours in the dark.

When it is time to eat, a morepork likes to perch very still on a branch and watch. The moment a tasty beetle, moth, or wētā comes near, it pounces. It can also fly swiftly and turn quickly to chase its food. Moreporks hunt small night-time creatures, and sometimes catch mice or small birds too.

Moreporks live in forests, bush remnants, and even leafy suburbs across much of New Zealand, and they are listed as Least Concern. During the day they sleep, tucked away in a quiet, shady roost. Keeping old trees and native forest standing gives these gentle night birds safe places to rest, nest, and call to one another.