Morepork - Ruru

Habitat - where do they live?

Moreporks live in New Zealand and other countries like Australia.

A Morepork is uncommon in drier places. A Morepork likes more open habitat sometimes like to go to farmland and parks and gardens.

Diet - what do they eat?

Moreporks eat  common large insects and small birds especially  silver eyes. They also like wetas, huhu beetles ,large moths and cicadas. Moreporks like catching geckos and especially mice.they like small mammals and sometimes worms and black widow spiders. 

Behavior -  what do they do?

Moreporks are nocturnal which means they sleep during the day and awake at night day and there awake at night. The morepork has short broad wings making it very easy to fly through dense forests. Moreporks catch their prey at night using large sharp talons or beak. 

Appearance - what they look like

Moreporks are a  type of owl. Sometimes there back feathers turn dark brown from the sun reflecting on it. Moreporks are feathered right down to there yellow feet.(there length is 29 cm)

(weight is about 175g) (290 mm).  

Fun facts

Did you know that a morepork has 5 names. A ruru, boobook owl, tasmanian spotted owl and   scientific name is ninox novaeseelandiae. The morepork is New Zealand's only surviving native owl. There nest in tree hollows in clumps of epiphytes (perching plants), or in Cavities among rocks and roots, and lay eggs between October and December.  

By Caius and Neva