Perched in the darkness of the native forest the female ruru calls. The haunting sound stretches across the expanse of bush, a call to her mate, a claim to her territory. He hears her as he glides silently through the night dropping suddenly to catch a huhu beetle or sink his talons into a rodent intruder. His fledglings wait and watch; for the imperceptible beat of his wing or the glint of moonlight on his back as he returns.