Tyto novaehollandiae
The Masked Owl has three basic plumage forms: pale, intermediate and dark. The plumage pattern remains similar in each case. The facial disc is chestnut to white, edged with a darker ring and darker around the bill and below the eyes. The upper parts vary from blackish-brown to grey-white and are liberally spotted with grey and white. The underparts are rufous to white, speckled with dark brown. Sexes are similar in plumage, but the females are markedly larger and generally darker than the males. Young Masked Owls are white to cream in colour when first fledged. After the first year, they closely resemble the adults but may be more heavily streaked. Tasmanian birds are larger than those on the mainland. This species is the largest Tyto owl and the second largest of the nocturnal birds (night birds) in Australia (the largest is the Powerful Owl, Ninox strenua ).
Not Threatened.
The Masked Owl has three basic plumage forms: pale, intermediate and dark. The plumage pattern remains similar in each case. The facial disc is chestnut to white, edged with a darker ring and darker around the bill and below the eyes. The upper parts vary from blackish-brown to grey-white and are liberally spotted with grey and white. The underparts are rufous to white, speckled with dark brown. Sexes are similar in plumage, but the females are markedly larger and generally darker than the males. Young Masked Owls are white to cream in colour when first fledged. After the first year, they closely resemble the adults but may be more heavily streaked. Tasmanian birds are larger than those on the mainland. This species is the largest Tyto owl and the second largest of the nocturnal birds (night birds) in Australia (the largest is the Powerful Owl, Ninox strenua ).
35-50 cm
Taxonomy:
- St[rix]? Novæ Hollandiæ Stephens, 1826, New South Wales. Forms superspecies with T. aurantia, T. manusi, T. sororcula, T. nigrobrunnea and T. inexspectata. Some authors treat T. sororcula and T. manusi as conspecific with present species, and in past most of the above allospecies were lumped into present species. Race castanops often treated as separate species, but recent review of size and colour variation within S Australian populations supports inclusion within present species, at subspecific level. New Guinea population calabyi has been proposed to constitute a megasubspecies, but .. View all taxonomy... (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * calabyi Mason, 1983 - S New Guinea, in S Trans-Fly region, from Merauke area to Tarara and Daru I. * melvillensis Mathews, 1912 - Melville I and Bathurst I (off N Australia). * galei Mathews, 1914 - NE Cape York Peninsula in NE Queensland, from Pascoe R to Chester R. * kimberli Mathews, 1912 - N Australia from Yampi Peninsula E to S Cape York Peninsula and Atherton Tablelands. * novaehollandiae (Stephens, 1826) - SW Western Australia E to Victoria and N to NE Queensland (Townsville), mainly in discontinuous and coastal distribution, but also scattered inland records, mostly from E Australia. * castanops (Gould, 1837) - Tasmania and Maria I; also Maatsuyker I, where perhaps only vagrant.
Masked Owl inhabits forests, woodlands, timbered waterways and open country on the fringe of these areas. The main requirements are tall trees with suitable hollows for nesting and roosting and adjacent areas for foraging. Masked Owls are territorial, and pairs remain in or near the territory all year round.
Feed mainly on small mammals, such as rodents, rabbits and bandicoots. Other prey animals include possums, reptiles, birds and insects, with hunting taking place in the early hours of night. The birds sit on low perches listening for prey which, once detected, is taken from the ground or from the tree branches.
Breed when conditions are favourable and food items are plentiful. The nest is a bare chamber located deep in a tree hollow, which is lined with soil, sand or soft wood mulch. The eggs are incubated solely by the female, while the male provides the food. The female also tears up the food for the chicks. The young birds remain in the vicinity of the nest and are fed by the parent birds for a further month after fledging. Breeding season: Any time of the year Clutch size: 2 to 3 Time in nest: 84 days