Miramar Heights Morepork

Julia of Miramar Heights photographed this lovely little morepork on friday outside her kitchen window by Miramar Heights. This is probably the same indvidual that now, 4 am this morning woke us up on Nevar Rd too.
New Zealand’s only surviving native owl, this small, dark, forest-dwelling owl that can be found in native forest, urban parks and are quite comfortable living in well-vegetated suburbs. Meaning that MIramar now might be well-vegetated enough to support native wildlife and the native predators like morepork and native falcons that feeds on them. The morepork diet consists of insects, small mammals and birds, which it hunts at night. They fly silently as they have soft fringes on the edge of the wing feathers, catching prey using large sharp talons or beak. The food can be held by the foot when feeding.

All calls are given only at night. The haunting, onomatopoeic ‘more-pork’ call is the most characteristic and often heard call. They also utter a repetitive ‘quork-quork’ and a rising ‘quee’ call.

Even if common and not regarded as endangered, moreporks are prone to predation when nesting, by cats, possum, rats and mustelids. When nesting on the ground eggs and chicks may also be susceptible to predation by hedgehogs. Females may be also vulnerable to predation when incubating and brooding in cavities, meaning that is no way out if nest gets intruded. Loss of hollows, suitable for nesting is an issue, however they are not fussy about the shape of their hollow.

By day they roost in the cavities of trees or in thick vegetation. If wanting to attract nesting morporks, nestboxes can be made.

https://creativewoodcraft.co.nz/conservation-wild-bird-nesting-box