Little owls (Athene noctua) were introduced to New Zealand in the early 1900s to sites in Canterbury and Otago. The idea was that the little owls (aka German owls) would control other introduced birds (sparrows, finches) that were becoming pests for farmers and orchardists. Little owls like it here and are now found throughout the eastern South Island. However, because they prefer eating insects over eating birds, the pest control concept didn’t really fly. In spite of the fact that little owls can be found outside during the day, little owls are so well-camouflaged and move so silently that they are difficult to see; this one in Motueka was only spotted because it moved.
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