Auckland Zoo has patched up a young ruru/morepork who chipped its beak learning to fly and returned it home to Rotoroa Island.
It was found huddled in a corner of the island’s visitor centre deck near large cavity ridden trees ruru like to roost and nest in.
Ruru have a hook at the end of their beaks to pull apart meat from prey like mice and break through the hard exoskeleton of bugs, without which they are destined to starve.
After a six weeks convalescence, initially being hand-fed small pieces of meat, the beak healed and with flying lessons completed at the zoo, the ruru was returned to Rotoroa.