Park News

Ruru are nocturnal and feed predominantly on invertebrates such as weta, beetles, moths and cicadas. They will also predate occasionally upon small mammals such as mice and native bats and lizards. Like all raptors they strike at their prey with their strong feet (this enables them to protect their vulnerable eyes) and they use their hooked beaks to tear their food.    Any material that can’t be digested (such as bones, feathers or fur) is later regurgitated as pellets. At the ...

As part of the Park redevelopment, the team here is developing a ‘zoned’ approach to the Park layout. This enables staff to develop interpretation that explains ecology, habitat features and common features of groups of animals.   As part of developing our ‘Raptor Zone’, the team has built a new Ruru/Morepork enclosure in the area beside the current Falcon aviary. We will also be constructing adjoining aviaries for our Little Owl and Ruru/Morepork pairs.

Love is in the air in our kea enclosure whilst our two new kaka have created a bachelor pad in the enclosure next door. This year we are thrilled to have received breeding recommendations for our kea pair.    Although Matilda, the female kea and Zeppelin, the male kea, are both mature kea that have not yet been allowed to breed, we are hopeful they will succeed this season. Zeppelin, who cannot vocalize, is taking quite a gentleman-like approach to the matter and is...

Sue Tucker, our groundsperson, works most Saturdays with volunteers in the Park from 12.30pm to 3.00pm. In that short period of time the volunteers certainly get a lot of work done! In February Sarah Tarrant, Evan Cowan and Liz Ward removed a huge rotten Mulberry tree.    In April a team removed blackberry from the weka pen in Rotary Park as it can be a hazard to the birds. The team comprised Vianni Ward and Paul Roberts, Karen Fitzgerald, Paora Heke and Josie Butch...