Celebrating Hurunui's owls

Did you know the Hurunui is home to two owl species, and used to be home to a third?

The native ruru (morepork) can be heard calling at night, but isn’t commonly found in farmland. It breeds in the forested areas of the district but the nests, either in tree holes or on the ground, are vulnerable to introduced predators.

In te ao Māori, the ruru is regarded as a kaitiaki (guardian) and messenger from the spirit world. Its distinctive ‘morepork’ call is regarded as a sign of protection.

In North Canterbury you are far more likely to see and hear the smaller introduced ‘little owl’, also known as the German owl. This owl can sometimes be spotted perched on fence posts and shelterbelts in the daytime. It has a mournful high-pitched call, unlike any of our other birds, and is a common sound at night in the farmed areas of the district.

Up until early last century, much of the dryland habitat around Waipara, Weka Pass and the greater Hurunui District echoed with the ‘ha-ha-ha’ call of whekau, the native laughing owl. This was a large bird which became extinct due to habitat loss and predation by introduced mammals.

Fossil deposits from the Waikari area contain some of the best evidence for the laughing owl anywhere in New Zealand.