LITTLE OWL Athene noctua

This Little Owl has taken up residence in a grove of willow trees close to our house. It sits on the power lines close by early in the morning and at dusk catching moths.
Little Owls were introduced to New Zealand between 1906 and 1910 from Germany. It was hoped that these Owls would control small birds and other pests in orchards. But studies have found that small birds do not make up part of the Little Owls diet. It primarily eats earwigs, beetles,spiders, moths ,snails and worms.