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There are many species and sub-species of Owl in Australia,but I am going to present the three main branches,common throughout
most of Australia.They are -the Tawny Frogmouth;the Southern Boobook;and the Barn Owl.
THE TAWNY FROGMOUTH OWL.
People are fascinated when they first see this Owl because he spends most of his time pretending
to be a dead log.When roosting during the day they usually remain utterly still with their eyes shut on a dead log or branch
and look like part of it.
Like all Owls they are nocturnal and spend the night hunting small animals and insects.
On a still night I hear this Owl calling his low bass sound of 'oom' 'oom', a sort of pulsating low background noise.
Its feathers are an overall grey streaked with darker grey and almost impossible to see in the day-time for the reasons
mentioned earlier.Its eyes are bright orange or yellow. Nesting is a platform of sticks in the fork of a tree.
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THE SOUTHERN BOOBOOK.
When the early British settlers heard the Boobook at night they thought they were hearing the
European Cuckoo because its call is very similar to that birds 'cuckoo' sound.Actually,its call is a 'kook, kook'with the
second 'kook' at a lower frequency.Eventually they realized that Cuckoos don't call at night and discovered the real proponent.The
Australian Cuckoo,by the way,does not have a 'cuckoo' call at all.
At night,when it is quiet I hear this Owl giving
his pleasantly reassuring call underlaid with the quieter 'oom,oom' of a Tawny Frogmouth.
The Boobooks vary in size
and colour though they are usually deep brownish above and vaguely streaked below.They have green-yellow eyes and dark facial
discs.
These are a very common nocturnal bird but rarely seen during the day. They roost in thick undergrowth,and if
humans pass close to them will rarely fly,but merely sit up straight and make themselves as invisible as possible.
Small birds are not happy around these silently sitting owls and 'mob' them to try to drive them away.
They eat small
animals such as birds,mammals and insects.Its nest is in a hollow limb or in a trunk of a tree.
THE BARN OWL.
These birds have a distinctive appearance with their rounded heart-shaped face and small black eyes.
Their feathers on their upperparts are soft grey and golden fawn with fine black spots.
Their call is a rasping screech.
These birds are quite happy to nest in human habitations such as barns and other outhouses as well as in trunks of trees.
They will roost on the ground or in caves as well as trees. Their diet is similar to other owls,though with their liking
for being near humans, they are popular among farmers for keeping their rat population down.
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