New morepork chick for Wellington Zoo

The new baby morepork at Wellington zoo. Photo / supplied

There's a new cute chick at Wellington Zoo - a baby ruru, or morepork.

Zoo spokeswoman Kate Baker said the baby bird was born nine days ago in The Twilight, the zoo's nocturnal house. It has since been moved to the Roost - Te Pae Manu, which is the zoo's new bird rearing and handling facility.

"Its eyes have just opened, two days ago," Ms Baker said.

The bird is being hand reared, and is fed mice four times a day, with each meal 10 percent of its body weight.

Wellington Zoo has three other moreporks - two females (Nui and Kurunui) and a male (Kaitiaki).

As was the case with Happy Feet the emperor penguin, it is unknown whether the chick is a boy or a girl.

"It's too little to know," Ms Baker said. "We don't have a name for it yet."

Visitors can see the chick being fed everyday at midday.

- HERALD ONLINE