The morepork is a small New Zealand brown owl. The Maori name is Ruru, meaning "big eyes".
They are mostly nocturnal - during the day they sleep and at night they hunt. They prey on small birds, rats and mice and large insects like moths, beetles, grasshoppers and wetas. They are superb night hunters and eat their prey whole. They have excellent hearing and can fly through the air silently. Their flexible necks can rotate 270 degrees.
The morepork is known for it's distinctive call.
They are usually seen singly, in pairs, or in small family groups of an adult pair and up to three babies.
