Pet Barn Owl Nz
The other possibility was owls hitchhiking.
Pet barn owl nz. Blogger north island conservation manager mark bellingham. Tahi a barn owl chick and part of the first nest discovered in new zealand. Noel hyde from the rotorua based wingspan bird of prey trust has been studying barn owls in new zealand for a number of years. The barn owl is one of the most widely distributed land birds in the world.
Over the past 60 years the barn owl tyto alba has been spotted on many occasions in new zealand from westland 1948 to auckland 1985 but it s never gained a good enough foothold to be classed as a native i e breeding bird. However they re relatively inactive and heavily nocturnal which can make them a disappointing pet or aviary bird. The barn owl has been a regular vagrant to new zealand from australia for some time but was not recorded breeding in new zealand until 2008 making this ghostly white predator of the night our newest native species. The barn owl is a very pale medium sized owl with a distinctive white heart shaped face black eyes and a pale bill.
There s been 13 reported sightings up until 2008 when a breeding pair was found near kaitaia. This picture was taken the moment after she was found with an injured wing. Barn owls are provided with significant legal protection in many countries. At first glance their heart shaped faces and willingness to breed in captivity make barn owls one of the most appealing owl species.