The Morepork - Ruru - is a small forest dwelling owl species native to New Zealand. It's New Zealand's only surviving native owl.
Calling out their name
They are named “Morepork” due to their distinctive call, which sounds like the phrase “more-pork” repeated several times.
Turning heads
They are primarily nocturnal birds, with excellent night vision and super sensitive hearing. The Ruru can’t move their eyes in their sockets, so instead they swivel their head up to 270 degrees without moving its shoulders.
They are ninjas
Being incredibly skilled at stealth hunting, the Ruru maneuvers through dense bush in silence. The serrated edges on its flight feathers muffle the sound of air passing over the wing.
Night raids for life
They are monogamous birds, so along with its partner, in their territory of around 5 hectares, the Ruru will have intimate knowledge of what small bird lives where and literally do night raids on tasty chicks for dinner.
