Whoooo knew? Owls are raptors too

Goulburn Broken CMA project officer, Janice Mentiplay-Smith, said it could be surprising to learn owls are raptors – carnivorous birds of prey that hunt and feed on live prey including rabbits, rodents, fish, lizards and other birds.

“With their flat, feathery faces known as facial discs, large forward-facing eyes, upright stance and circles of feathers under their eyes, they don’t look much like a traditional raptor, such as a Wedge-tailed Eagle,” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said.

“However, their sharp talons, curved beak and ability to ‘fly silent’ paired with their exceptional vision and hearing, put them firmly in the raptor category.”

Ms Mentiplay-Smith said owls have some very useful hunting skills.

“Unlike other raptors, owls can turn their head up to 270 degrees to help them locate prey. They also have asymmetrical ears, so any noise made by potential prey reaches each ear at slightly different times which helps them to precisely pinpoint the location of the next meal.

“As well, their sound absorbing feathers reduce the noise of their flapping wings.”

Owls, like other raptors, regurgitate the non-nutritious parts of their prey. Several hours after eating they produce a pellet of ‘leftovers’. Once rid of the unnecessary bits and pieces, they are ready to hunt and eat again.

Australia is home to 11 owl species. Those that call the Goulburn Broken catchment home vary greatly in size between species: the smallest is the Australian Boobook which weighs around 300 grams and measures around 30 centimetres. The largest is the Powerful Owl which can have a wingspan up to 1.4 metres and weigh approximately 1.4 kilograms.

“As Australia’s largest owl, the Powerful Owl lives in large tracts of forest where it can access territory, nesting hollows and food,” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said.

“A menu favourite is the Brushtail Possum, which also relies on tree hollows, emphasising the importance of retaining large old trees which has this important habitat. Tree hollow loss is one of the challenges faced by the Powerful Owl.”

Powerful Owls have a slow, double-note ‘whoo-hoo’ call that can be heard across one or more kilometres. In comparison, Australia’s smallest owl, the Australian Boobook has a distinctive two-toned call that sounds like ‘mopoke’ or ‘morepork’; a word that is often used as its common name.

Like all owls, the Australian Boobook has excellent night-time vision, however, possibly as an evolutionary trade off, it does not perceive colour very well. Its wingspan is between 60-80 centimetres and it can weigh up to 300 grams.

The Australian Boobook feeds on insects and small mammals, including microbats, which it catches mid-air. Ground dwelling prey is pounced upon once spotted from a tall perch.

Tuesday 4 August is International Owl Awareness Day where you can celebrate and learn about owls from around the world.

Bush Heritage https://www.bushheritage.org. au/species/owls features interesting stories about owls of Australia and Birdlife Australia’s citizen science Powerful Owl Project https://birdlife.org.au/ projects/powerful-owl-project provides interesting reading on how everyday people are assisting the survival of the Powerful Owl in the challenging urban environments of South-east Queensland and Greater Sydney.

Bird watching is an enjoyable way to see the Goulburn Broken catchment's beautiful birdlife, including its amazing raptors. Local birding group Murray Goulburn BirdLife meet monthly to conduct outings and enjoy the local environment. The next outing is scheduled for Saturday July 18 for a Mangalore and Seymour River walk. For more information, contact: robertsdon680@gmail.com

Learning more about a species and its requirements is a positive first step in helping it and the environment it relies on. BirdLife Australia’s Raptor Group promotes the conservation, management and study of Australia's birds of prey and fosters communication and cooperation among raptor enthusiasts across Australasia. For more information visit https://ausraptorgroup.org