Everything we know about New Zealand's birds of prey has been hard-won through decades of hands-on conservation, careful research, and collaboration with scientists, landowners, and communities across the country.
This page brings together Wingspan's key resources, research references, and practical guides, made freely available to support conservation practitioners, researchers, landowners, educators, and anyone passionate about protecting New Zealand's raptors. Download, share, and put them to work.
In winter, while we long for the springtime that feels so far away, our birds aren't waiting about. Courtship can be rather a prolonged process - gifts of food, acrobatic displays, calls to one another...and the hunt for a suitable nest.
The ruru or morepork owl is a cavity nester, favouring tree hollows and epiphytes, but readily nesting in holes in the earth or broken logs on the ground. This makes them vulnerable. Cats, rats and mustelids pose a huge risk - even hedgehogs will eat the eggs of ground-nesting birds. Nest boxes are one way we can help to mitigate that.
If you're keen to install a nest box on your property, Autumn is the time to do it. Check out our nest box plans, book in a trip to your local hardware store, and put it up before June to get the best chance of ruru tenants.