Silvered trunks in the moonlight. Feathered leaf patterns against the sky.
Deep pools of darkness and shafts of moonshine. Stillness. Silence.
This is the Australian bush at night; a setting to fire the imagination and
test the senses; accessible to all but known only to a few. It may be
unfamiliar territory but it is home for many animals and birds, including
the ten species of owl that occur in Australia. All of these belong to just
two groups. The Barn Owls and the Hawk Owls.
The Australian species of owls from the family Strigidae, the Hawk Owls, all
belong to the genus Ninox. All form pairs that vigourously defend territories with monotonous 'hooting', all have downy fledglings, and all males
feed incubating females by calling them from the nest.
The Australian species of owls from the family Tytonidae, the Barn Owls, all
belong to the genus Tyto. They generally defend their nest terrirotities
not with regular calling but with postures. Some are not territorial at all
and tend toward opportunistic breeding. When they do breed they lay more
eggs than Ninox, the males feed the females at the nest, and the fledglings
are not downy.
There are five species of Tyto in Australia. These make up a highly diverse
group and occupy a variety of habitats, ranging from treeless plains to the
densest rainforests. They include the Barn Owl, the Grass Owl, the Lesser
Sooty Owl, the Masked Owl and the Sooty Owl.
The Ninox group consists of the Barking Owl, the Brown Hawk-Owl,the Powerful
Owl, the Rufous Owl and the Southern Boobook Owl.
Barking Owl Barn Owl Hawk Owl Grass Owl Lesser Sooty Owl Masked Owl Powerful Owl Rufous Owl Sooty Owl Southern BooBook Owl
