Australian OwlsFacts about Australian Owls Owls are nocturnal birds of prey. They’ve got similar features to the diurnal raptors - a hooked bill, strong feet and talons, but also excellent eyesight and hearing, and specialised feathers that allow silent flight. Owls around the world are famous for their calls, but most of Australian owls don’t sound like the owls of the Northern Hemisphere. Only the largest Australian Hawk Owl does a vague owl sound, and the Barking Owl does a doglike barking, but most of the rest are sitting quietly in their perch as they look out for a prey on the ground. Here are some owl pictures, and a few facts on the types of owls found in Australia. Australian Owls Species Sooty Owl (Tyto tenebricosa) is found along the coast of south-eastern Australia between Brisbane and Melbourne, where it lives in gullies in tall wet forests and roosts in caves and tree hollows. The smaller Lesser Sooty Owl (Tyto multipunctata) is found in tropical rainforests in far north Queensland between Cairns and Cooktown. Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae) is found along all Australian coasts except the Pilbara region in Western Australia. It lives in forest and woodland and roosts in caves and tree hollows. Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is found almost everywhere in Australia but breeds mainly in eastern parts of the continent. It lives in grasslands, crops, and riparian and open woodland and roosts in tree hollows, caves and buildings. Grass Owl (Tyto capensis) is found in inland areas of Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales, where it lives in tussock grasslands, swampy heath, crops and cane fields. Australian Nightjar Species Spotted Nightjar (Eurostopodus argus) lives in large areas of inland Australia, and on coasts except the Nullarbor coast in south, and the eastern coast between Townsville in north and Victoria-South Australia border in south. Its habitats include scrubs, deserts, open forest and woodland. Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus) is only found on the eastern coast between Bundaberg in south and Karumba in north; and northern coast of the Top End of the Northern Territory. Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) is a common nightjar and lives in tree hollows almost everywhere in Australia, including Tasmania. Places to See Australian Nightjars
Papuan Frogmouth (Podargus papuensis) is only found in coastal areas of Cape York peninsula in far north Queensland, where it lives in mangroves and rainforests, often near water. Marbled Frogmouth (Podargus ocellatus) is found in even lesser area on eastern coast of Cape York, and the coastal areas around Brisbane in Queensland.
Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) is a common frogmouth and is found everywhere in Australia (including Tasmania), except the waterless plains of inland Western Australia. Tawny Frogmouth is about 40cm-long grey bird with a large log-like head, yellow eyes and a broad bill. It is perfectly camouflaged and looks like a big log or a broken branch. It lives in forests and woodlands, mallee, tree-lined watercourses, parks and gardens. They have small permanent territories and often use the same place to roost day after day. After dark they start hunting by perching and dropping on a prey on the ground. Tawny Frogmouths eat large insects, molluscs, crustaceans, frogs and small mammals. They live in permanent pairs and are often seen together or at least close to each other. Female lays 1-3 eggs between August and November which hatch after 29 days. Tawny Frogmouths sound "oom-oom-oom" which can continue for a half an hour. Places to See Australian Frogmouths Looking for anything?  Custom Search
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