This is a Ruru / Morepork, a native New Zealand owl. This little guy was posted to the r/owlsintowels subreddit1 by user NewZealandDunc who noted the Ruru was being looked after by Judy Fentress.
Judy deserves a particular mention. She’s the name behind ‘Judy’s Bird Nursery’, a volunteer rescue in the Waikato region for rehabilitating wildlife and helping native birds return to the wild. This is Part 1 in a series of posts highlighting her dedication to New Zealand wildlife (see also Part 2 and Part 3).
However, after many years of service, Judy is having to wind down nursery operations. Managing a facility of this nature requires 24/7 availability, a continuous supply of food and medication for the birds, and power for the incubators. It also incurs significant expenses in vet bills, travel and ongoing maintenance.
A blog post2 from New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) estimated Judy was spending $20,000 NZD a year to run the sanctuary, mostly from her own pocket due to lack of external funding.
At nearly 80 years old, Judy is finding it increasingly difficult to meet these physical and financial demands. And with no successor available to take on the mantle, she is only able to offer limited services. The original poster NZDunc notes “She loves the birds but she’s getting too old for it. Hopefully there’s someone qualified out there.”
Judy is quoted as saying:
“I am no longer taking garden birds, only natives now. That’s all that has changed. I need help and money and someone joining me to do something like this. It requires a DOC permit and a lot of time and energy”
The nursery represents a special era of wildlife rescue in the Waikato, and a huge debt of gratitude is owed to Judy Fentress for her decades of outstanding work. Her selfless and long-standing commitment has had a real and lasting impact on local bird populations, earning her something of a legendary status in the community.
Go well Judy, you’ve earned a Waikato Draught.
Bonus video of Judy releasing a Ruru at The Sculpture Park 3 along the Waitakaruru Stream – which incidentally means ‘owl by the river’:
Video transcription:
Judy Fentress unwraps a pink towel to release a Ruru in a daylight forest setting. The video is slowed down, and the owl beats his wings a full 5 times before leaving frame. The last half second is a close-up of Judy’s face, beaming a smile a she watches the owl take flight.
xo owlsintowels
💛🦉
| Species | Common Name | More info |
|---|---|---|
| Ninox novaeseelandiae | Morepork | Wiki link |
Sources and references
- Owls in Towels subreddit – “It’s a Ruru (Morepork), native to New Zealand” by u/NewZealandDunc. Posted 26 Nov 2025.
https://reddit.com/r/owlsintowels/comments/1p6uq0f ↩︎ - Department of Conservation Blog – “Judy Fentress: Dedicated to helping our native birds in their time of need” by Carisse Enderwick. Posted 11 Apr 2023.
https://blog.doc.govt.nz/2023/04/11/judy-fentress/ ↩︎ - Waikato Community Noticeboard – “Judy Fentress released this little ruru yesterday.” Posted 11 Sep 2024.
https://fb.com/reel/1157551751980406 ↩︎
