New Zealand Owls
New Zealand, an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean, offers a very distinctive habitat and ecology. Thanks to its geographical isolation it has very few native mammal species, with a fauna that was historically dominated by birds.
One of its best-known is the Southern Boobook or Morepork owl, made famous in the UK by fantasy author Terry Pratchett, who named a fictional city after it. This bird is named for its distinctive cry, is known locally as the Ruru, and occupies a key place in Maori folkore and tradition.
New Zealand was once home to a well-known extinct owl species, the Laughing owl, named for its distinctive cry. This bird was widespread throughout the islands when European settlers arrived in the middle of the 19th century. It was wiped out by the time of the First World War with its demise caused by specimen collectors, habitat changes and non-native predators including cats and stoats.
Here are the New Zealand owls we have at the sanctuary:
Boobook Owl
Boobook owl (Ninox Boobook)
Common name: Southern Boobook
Scientific name: Ninox Boobook
Height: 270mm to 360mm
Geographical distribution: Austrialia, Timor, Southern New Guinea
Habitat: Eucalypt Forest & Woodland, Mallee Scrubland, Tree lined creeks, semi deserts
Diet: Small mammals & birds, bettles & moths
Status: Least Concern
Boobooks at the Sanctuary are
BURRA-BURRA, KAYA, DI,CLIO