So i came across this little guy and only had my phone camera on me (Sorry about the terrible quality) He was sitting there looking slightly alarmed by everything, and being harassed by birds...
so far, no-one i know has been able to identify the feather! i was surprised to see an owl in such a populated area, can anyone tell what he is?
I found the feather nearby, it caught my eye being so unusual. It also has a chunk taken out of it, so i guessed it was his.
I'd say the owl is a Southern Boobook. It's the right size and shape, and Boobooks are the most likely urban owl.
I'm not sure if i'm looking at the right spot in your photo, but may I ask if your Owl is white? The bird that I am looking at? looks almost like a letter-winged kite. I could be completely wrong. I just thought I would ask :)
Hmmm, the more I look at it the more white it looks. I hope that I am looking at the right spot
I know that the feather looks a lot like from a Boobook, but I also think that the bird is very white and the black markings around the eyes does look like a letter-winged or a Black-shouldered Kite?
M-L
Hi Jesse, the bird is definately a juvenile southern boobook and as Araminta was saying the feather also matches, if you look on google image for juvenile boobook owl you can see clearer photos that match your individual. Just to knock theese two out of the equation Letter winged kites are generally found in countryside/ desert locations and black shouldered kites prefer locations with open grasslands and even hunt for mice and other rodents over sand dunes.
Thanks BabyBirdwatcher, I had a look at some more images, you are right.
M-L