The 3 native birds of prey in New Zealand are the Morepork, New Zealand Falcon, and the Australian Harrier Hawk. These 3 birds make their home in this island country.
Some of the most iconic wildlife in the country of New Zealand are birds. A few of the more well known ones include Kiwis, Tuis, and the cool Kereru. This country may be home to heaps of birds, but somehow there are only 3 native birds of prey. A few other birds of prey were introduced during the past 100 years. This means that for a vey long time these 3 birds were the only hunting birds across this country.
What Is A Bird Of Prey?
Simply put, a bird of prey is a bird that feeds on animals. A bird of prey often has a sharply hooked beak to tear and rip flesh. Remember you can tell a lot about a bird by its bill.
New Zealand’s 3 Native Birds Of Prey
I just want to make a quick note here about what I’m taking about. As I’ve discussed before not all of the plants and animals currently living in New Zealand have always been here. The three ways to describe them are native, endemic, or introduced.
Native means that they live in New Zealand naturally. They have either always been here or they came by themselves. Endemic species live only in New Zealand and introduced species were brought by people.
Morepork
This small, owl like bird is common across the country, but especially in or near bush. Its Maori name is ruru.
The Morepork got its name because at night you can hear it repeatedly calling softly, ‘more pork’. I love hearing that faint sound at night.
It hunts large insects, small mammals, and lizards and geckos.
Austalasian Harrier Hawk
This biggest bird of prey in New Zealand can be found throughout the country. Its Maori name is kahu.
It most often can be seen circling in the sky looking for dead animals on roads or on the ground. Or you may see it perched high up in a tree.
New Zealand Falcon
This small to medium sized bird is an incredibly fast flyer, and is common in bush from Waikato southwards. Its Maori name is karearea.
This native bird of prey hunts mainly other smaller birds, which it catches in the air.