Masked Owl

 

Characteristics

This species can be distinguished by its prominent chestnut, heart-shaped facial disc. It has chestnut shading outlining the eyes, bills and facial disc. Their upper body is a dark brown to light chestnut colour with a white speckled plumage; juveniles are white to cream in colour. In addition, their legs are fully feathered with long talons making the feet powerful and heavy, as well as possessing a stocky crouched posture.

Adult female: weight - 1kg,  height -  43-57cm

Adult male:  weight - 600g,  height -  35-42cm

 

Behaviour

They have a highly varied set of shrieks and complex whistles that is often described as a loud, raspy screech. The Australian Masked Owl (Northern) is an extremely sedentary, territorial species and they rarely migrate.

 

Masked owls breed erratically when conditions are suitable and food supply is plentiful, which can be any time of the year. The breeding season is distinguished by vocalisation from both sexes around the nest hollow, led by the male. Before mating they go through elaborate head bobbing and wing waving. Masked owls form monogamous pairs and usually mate for life. When a clutch is produced, the female will incubate its young until it hatches. The male will hunt for itself and the female. After the eggs hatch, the female will brood its young for 2 to 3 weeks, during which time the male hunts for the female and young. After brooding ends, both sexes hunt. The female will always tear up the food for its young. The next 10-12 weeks is the fledging period in which they remain in the vicinity of the nest. After fledging, the young will stay with its parents for 1-3 months, and they will start to seek their own food after the first month, before going on their own.  

     

Diet

The Australian Masked Owl (Northern) is a consumer. It is a carnivore and preys on Bush Rats, Ringtailed Possums, Northern Brown Bandicoots, European Wild Rabbits, House Mouse, Black Rats, Small Gliders, Kookaburras and Magpies. Their diet is influenced by habitat, meaning, a forest would consist of small native mammals, whilst the forest edge or semi-urban rural areas may comprise predominantly introduced species.

 

Predators

Its predators include the Brown Tree Snake, the Red Goshawk, Red Fox, Eagles, Feral Cats and Feral Dogs.

 

Distribution and Abundance

Since it is native, it is only found in northern Australia, in areas such as northern W.A, N.T and northern QLD. In the Northern Territory, it can be sighted in areas extending from north and north-west coastal Kimberley to Cobourg Peninsula to Katherine.

 

There is no information that shows the official abundance of the Australian Masked Owl (Northern), but it is evident that they are in between uncommon to rare.

 

Habitat

This owl mainly inhabits tall, open, eucalyptus forests dominated by Darwin Woolybutt (Eucalyptus Miniata) and Darwin Stringybark (E. tetrodonta) but it may also roost in monsoon rainforests and forages in open vegetation areas such as grasslands. They usually nest in tree hollows within forest patches.

 

Impacts

Food resources and habitat availability have changed in abundance and year-round availability. It is suggested that the availability of trees and hollows required for nesting and shelter has been reduced due to the intense, frequent and extensive fire regimes. It is evident that small mammal populations across the Northern Territory have been dramatically declining on a broad scale, which may contribute to threatening Masked Owls, since they are specialist predators on small mammals. In addition, invasive exotic grasses that have been greatly increasing in height may cause a decline in foraging efficiency.

 

Management

The Australian Masked Owl species is protected in the world under the act of the IUCN Red List, in which it is deemed “Least Concern”. The sub-species (Australian Masked Owl Northern Mainland) is protected by the EPBC Act in Australia in which it is deemed “Vulnerable”, and is protected in the Northern Territory under regulations of the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2000 in which it is deemed “Near Threatened” but is now “Vulnerable”. It is also protected under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 in which it is deemed “Vulnerable”.