The morepork is a dark brown owl with buff coloured bars on its chest and underparts and large yellow eyes set in a dark facial mask.

Being nocturnal, they feed at night, mainly on large insects like weta, cicadas, moths, huhu beetles, and other night flying insects.  They also eat spiders, mice, small rats and small birds.  Any indigestible material is dropped from the daytime perch and collects on the forest floor.

The morepork has a variety of calls, calling mainly at night and starting at dusk. The familiar call is a very clear 'more-pork' which carries through a still night and can be heard a long way off.  They screech a repeated 'cree' when hunting.

Breeding is between September and February and the nest can be virtually anywhere. It could be found on the ground, sheltered behind rocks or in a petrel burrow, or high up in the hollow of a tree or branch.  Sometimes in epiphytes or in a cabbage tree.  The eggs are incubated solely by the female for 20 - 30 days and the young moreporks fledge about 35 days after hatching.

Photography by: Simon Fordham ©

References: Heather, B.D.; Robertson, H.A. 2000 The Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand. Auckland, Viking.