Episode Details

The owl of New Zealand was having a go at Bird of the Year. And it wasn’t just Pete Wolfkamp and I that voted for the Ruru…   

We're both supporters of Wingspan in Rotorua – it’s the place where falcons, harriers, and owls find a useful and caring home, especially when these birds have been whacked by a car on the road or flew into a glass window. It's not really something Ruru do a lot; they have phenomenal vision, especially at night.   

The Ruru that really became my friend was Whisper. I’ll never forget that owl. Whisper was at Wingspan for many, many years. She would come and sit on my shoulder, have a little nibble in my pockets, and was happy to be scratched and treated with some tickling.  

All despite her preference to be cuddled by ladies (not males!). It did help to give her some insects (beetles and weta) with every visit I made! Whisper passed away a couple of years ago and all our Wingspan staff miss her dearly.  

The lifespan for Ruru is around ten years – depending on their place of living, I suppose.   

Ruru occur almost everywhere in Aotearoa, including many offshore Islands. The drier regions, especially in the eastern areas of the South Island, do not seem to have huge numbers. They are not common in Christchurch, for instance.  

This is the time of the year (September) when these owls are getting together and thinking about getting some young ones. Usually two eggs are the beginning of it all, with eggs hatching after a month.   

The parents fly silently through the forests and even trough gardens. Their ability to detect possible prey is literally the result of their silence – it makes so much sense, they can hear mice, rodents, and insects from a great distance!  

The Ruru's serrated feathers allow it to fly silently. 

After about five weeks, the kids leave their nest cavity and learn to forage their own food.  

If you are ready to look after your own Ruru Owl population, the least you can do is create your own Owl Box in the garden. Guess what: Pete Wolfkamp has been making a number of excellent boxes that seem to be attractive to these birds.  

Imagine springtime and Ruru looking after their young in a sizeable tree in your garden! The kids are relatively quiet, but mum and dad will call from time to time, yelling “morepork” just when you want to go to bed… 

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