Photo: Aviceda / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Morepork
Ninox novaeseelandiae
Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) — Owls of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 183 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Ninox
- Species novaeseelandiae
Where it lives
North, South and Stewart is. (New Zealand), Norfolk and Lord Howe is.
Quick facts
- Weight
- 183 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Morepork is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Morepork is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU North, South and Stewart is. (New Zealand), Norfolk and Lord Howe is.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 183 g, with a wing length of about 19.8 cm and a tail of around 11.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 269,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Morepork?
The Morepork is a large bird that weighs around 183 g.
Where does the Morepork live?
The Morepork is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU North, South and Stewart is. (New Zealand), Norfolk and Lord Howe is, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Morepork belong to?
The Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Morepork eat?
The Morepork is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Morepork migrate?
The Morepork is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Morepork endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Morepork make?
1 real field recording of the Morepork — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Morepork's range?
The Morepork has a mapped global range of about 269,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.