The local birds have been going berserk in the the big wattle tree in my yard for the past week or so.
Today I found out why. An owl. But not one in my Simpson and Day.
He's not intimidated by people. I took a couple of pics as did the workmen who were in the yard.
Can someone identify this owl, please?
It looks like a Southern Boobook to me, however I'm not an expert
Where did you take the photo? This will help with IDing your bird.
Elsie
Thanks for your response, Elsie. I'm in Epping North, on the northern outskirts of Melbourne.
The Southern Boobook, according to S&D, doesn't have a grey head. They don't mention head colour which, since the head contrasts with the wings etc, is puzzling.
Very excited at having an owl around the place.
Peter M.
Southern Boobook.
I believe that boobooks can have a variety of head colours. I have seen a number of birds (boobooks) that have very dark heads and some that are lighter, it can be rather confusing at times
. What is really convincing me that your owl is a boobook is the dark mask around it's eyes, it also has the correct tawny colour to it's back.
I hope this helps
Definitely a Boobook, good find for suburban Melbourne.
Southern Boobook, as said.
Curtis
All the votes seem to be for the Southern Boobook.
Thanks to everybody who replied.
Regds, Peter M.
The Boobooks must be on the move to new territories. I live in SE Qld. and have had one move in for the first time in the 37 years I've been here. Very exciting. I had Tawny Frogmouths living here all those years, and hope they don't fight over the nesting territory.
Karen
Brisbane southside.
It's a couple of days since I first saw the owl and I've looked for it every day without success. So I concluded that it was a "oncer", scared off by too many people staring at it.
But this morning there was a suspicious dark lump in the wattle tree and the owl is back. But, oddly, it seems much bulkier than last time. Maybe it's a different owl. It's back-on at the moment so all I can see it the shape and the flecked feathers. Too obcured by leaves etc to photograh. The local birds, especially the blackbirds who nest in the jasmin under the wattle, aren't happy.
There's no need for a vote. It is a Southern Boobook, period.
You'll just have to trust my knowledge of Australian owls. :)
amatteroflight.com will give you more information about why I am so confident.
As for being scared off, owls don't always come back to the exact same roost every dawn. They have several, if not more, favourite within their territories and they use them as they feel like it. Some roosts can be for months on end, others not. It is great you got to see one (perhaps the same) again today. Boobooks are preparing for nesting over the next few months, so chances are there may be a nest location in the general vicinity, as their home range is not really too big. Only about a 100 acres or so from memory.
How exciting for you Petermal to have on in your garden.
I have been hearing one this week at night and once in the morning .... Canonguy do you think that could mean it meay be calling foro a mae or looking to nest then? I would be pretty excited by that and have to investigate!
Sunshine Coast Queensland
The Southern Boobook Owls & Tawny Frogmouths are unlikely to compete for nesting spots, Karen. The Owls nest in tree trunks (hence the need to preserve old trees with hollows) while the Frogmouths build a flimsy nest on a tree branch.
Thanks for that info, Woko. I have seen the tawny frogmouth nest. They used to build in an iron bark tree in my yard. Then the male died (was definitely of old age) the female moved out but left one of her young here. Now it has a mate and is breeding, but sadly, not in my tree.
I haven't seen the boobook owls nesting and know next to nothing about them.
Karen
Brisbane southside.