Our birds of prey are cool. They're not only fast, crafty and super intelligent - some of them can even see in the dark! We have four native birds of prey - the karearea, the kahu, our ruru and our most recent addition - the barn owl.  

Our karearea is the boy racer of our skies and can reach speeds of 200 kms per hour! They will perform an elaborate courtship display that involves cliff dives, chasing and mock-fighting. Fun. 

Unlike our forest-dwelling karearea, our kahu lives around open plains. They can be seen soaring above our highways waiting for some fresh road kill. They love snacking on rabbits, mice and possums. 

Our ruru or morepork is our only native owl. It is the only bird that knows its own name! As the ruru flies it calls 'morepork, morepork'. Ruru, its Maori name means big eyes. 

To learn all about our birds of prey join our kids club and you'll receive a magazine five times a year!