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The
Southern Boobook Owl (Ninox novaeseelandiae) is also know as the Mopoke,
Boobook owl, Spotted owl, Cuckoo owl, and Marbled owl. It is a
nocturnal bird that is usually sedentary
during the daytime. If approached it will sit upright with its feathers
pressed
firm against its body.
What do Southern Boobook Owls Look Like?
The Southern Boobook is the smallest (28 - 36 cm) and
most common owl in Australia. It is dark chocolate-brown with
spots and streaks of white with a mottled brown to white belly and breast. The
facial disc is chocolate brown and the eyes are large and yellowish, making it
look like its wearing dark spectacles around the eyes. The bill is grey with a
darker tip, and the feet are grey or yellow.
You can find the southern boobook owl wherever
you live
in Australia (also in New Zealand and Indonesia). The Southern Boobook
is the smallest of Australia's owls, hiding by day in tree hollows
or thick foliage, and coming out at night to feed. You might sometimes
spot the
southern boobook splashing in your bird bath, or catching insects near
lights. The Southern Boobook Owl makes a two-syllable
call of boo-book, mo-poke or more- pork. It is the Boobook
Owl that makes the more-pork call and not the tawny frogmouth. This
sound is a common one throughout Brisbane's suburbs.
Where do Southern Boobook Owls live?
The
Southern Boobook Owl is found throughout Australia, wherever suitable trees for
nesting and roosting are found. They are seen in a variety of habitats from
dense forest to open desert.
What do Southern Boobook Owls eat?
The Southern Boobook Owl eats insects, small birds, small mammals (such as the
House Mouse) and other small animal species. Feeding takes place mostly at
night but some afternoon and morning activity may occur, especially on dull
days. Most prey is detected by listening and watching from a suitable tall
perch. Once detected, flying prey, such as moths and small bats, are seized in
mid-air, while ground-dwelling prey is pounced upon.
Owls are
such great hunters because they have both good night vision and excellent
hearing - which is up to four times better than any other animal tested. This allows
them to hunt in complete darkness. Because their left and right ears are placed
at different levels on their heads there is a slight difference in the time
taken for a particular sound to reach each ear. This time-lag enables the owl
to pinpoint the source of the sound more accurately. The higher ear has an
opening facing downwards and is more sensitive to sounds from below. Feathers
within the characteristic facial disc are positioned so as to funnel sound to
the ears. Stiff feathers bordering the ear slits are attached to moveable flaps
so an owl can change the shape of its ear opening and focus its hearing.
(Source: Environmental Protection Agency)
How do Southern Boobook Owls breed?
The Southern Boobook breeds from September to February
each year, with most activity occurring in October. Because insects form a
large part of its diet, nesting begins in spring. This is accompanied by
frequent bouts of calling. The familiar boobook or mopoke double hoot is
the best known of Australian nocturnal sounds. The nest is normally a tree
hollow or tree trunk between one and twenty metres off the ground ad is usually
sparsely lined with wood shavings, leaves and small twigs. The female alone
incubates the eggs, but both sexes, and sometimes a second female helper, feed
the two to three (occasionally up to five) young. The young birds stay in
the nest until they are five or six weeks old.
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Fun Stuff
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When looking to dine out in Brisbane, it is helpful to understand the different
precincts for
restaurants in Brisbane.
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