Superbowl @lemmy.world anon6789 @lemmy.world 11 mo. ago

Owl of the Year Match 19 - Morepork vs Little Owl

WINNER: LITTLE OWL 67-57

Morepork soundly defeated the Barred Owl in a real surprise to most of us. If Morepork makes it through this, he may be facing New Zealand's recent addition, the Barn Owl. Morepork is about 10 inches / 26 cm. It's this small enough to be today's favorite little brown owl?

Little Owl bested Barking Owl to get here today. Little Owl was also brought to New Zealand's South Island in the early 20th century. Little Owl measures in at 8.5 inches / 22 cm giving it the edge in tinyness. Little Owl is all over Eurasia and Africa as well.

Will this flat headed fellow be the winner today, or will the charm and rarity of the Morepork prevail? Upvote your favorite!

42 comments

Little Owl
- Morepork has the colors, but I can't resist that flat little head!
  
  These 2 have a good bit similar between them, so it's going to come down to those finer details today.
- Wo can say no to such adorable little murder machine?
Morepork
#MoreporkSquad
- It's names are certainly the more creative ones and I support that!
- Morepork represent, the only indigenous owl in New Zealand.
  
  It's got company with the Barn Owl these days, and it thankfully doesn't seem to be going after native birds too badly.
  
  As for Little Owl vs Morepork IRL:
  
  From NZbirdsonline
  
  A total of 219 little owls were imported and released by the Otago Acclimatisation Society between 1906 and 1910. Additional birds were released in the Canterbury region around the same time. They spread rapidly, and are common throughout the eastern South Island.
  
  Little owls were introduced with the intention that they would limit populations of introduced finches and sparrows, and thereby reduce crop damage. There is no evidence that they have been effective in this, nor are little owls considered a significant threat as a predator to any native bird species. They are a major predator of the endangered Cromwell chafer beetle (Prodontria lewisi), and may limit the beetle’s population. The largely non-overlapping distributions of little owl and morepork are suggestive of competitive exclusion. This may be driven more by habitat preferences than direct interactions, but this has not been studied
Tough choice, both exude fierce cuteness. Unfortunately for the Morepork, for me it has an association with Liz Truss, and the Little Owl is just adorable (unless you're a mouse, in which case I imagine its cute flat head is actually quite terrifying).

Little Owl for me!
- Surely the Terry Pratchett association cancels out Truss?
  
  Ahh, speaking about expanding our horizons... I have not yet partaken of Discworld. I see it mentioned all the time online but never IRL so it always ends up slipping my mind. Is there a current appropriate place to start? I feel Guards, Guards is the one I typically have seen mentioned.
  
  An excellent point. Really I should be doing all I can to not even think about her, so I'll take that advice!
- Oh no what’s the truss connection
  
  Just a silly joke about her wanting more pork and how it's a disgrace, please ignore
  
  There seems to be a meme about her and "pork markets," so I think it's a Brexit thing, but I'll let one of our local Brits chime in.
  
  Update: Liz Truss Pork Meme
  
  In what is the latest in memorable moments from a gruelling Tory leadership contest, a Liz Truss meme has gone viral for a strange moment in an old speech where the potential PM in waiting made a promise about pork.
- Unfortunately for the Morepork, for me it has an association with Liz Truss
  
  Ah, it's a pity that OP went with the British coloniser name for the Morepork then.
  
  It's *original * Maori name, that is widely used in NZ too, is the Ruru.
  
  I've called it the Ruru a few times during the contest and in other posts. I've been trying to keep it under one name here so I don't confuse people into thinking it's 2 different things since it isn't a bird familiar to the rest of us.
  
  The main reason I've stuck with Morepork is I source a lot of images from Flickr and searching "Ruru" there just gives me some Asian swimsuit model. Not the hooters I'm looking for. 😅
  
  If it's more respectful to change it to Ruru, I'm perfectly fine with that. I have no knowledge whatsoever about politics or social issues in that part of the world, so I'm always receptive to your feedback.
I upvoted both. I can't pick a fav here.
- You picked 2 good choices then!
Morepork will carry Pratchett's legacy until the end of tiiiiiime 🤘🏼
Going with morepork for some local pride.
- I wish it was local to me too!
  
  Now that you say that, I do too. I was just making a Pratchett joke, although the city is Morpork. Alas, I've never been to the beautiful land of the moreporks.
  
  Even if my reasoning is joke, moreporks are defo my choice here.
How are these the actual names???
- They're both appropriately named, as strange as that may seem.
  
  Little Owl is pretty much the smallest common owl in most of its range.
  
  Morepork by the English, or Ruru by the native people, is what the owl's call sounds like.
  
  Morepork / Ruru Call
  
  I would have done so much better in Biology if you were the teacher!

You've viewed 42 comments.