Masked Owl
Encyclopedia
The Australian Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae) is a barn owl
of Southern New Guinea
and the non-desert areas of Australia
.
.
used underground caves or rock crevices for nesting. The female lays two or three eggs and incubates them while the male hunts for food. The young are white or off white when they first develop feathers. They can leave the nest at two to three months of age but return to be fed by the parents for another month before going on their own.
In Victoria (Australia)
, the Masked Owl is a listed threatened bird, and an Action Statement has been prepared under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.
Tytonidae
Barn-owls are one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls, Strigidae. They are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons...
of Southern New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and the non-desert areas of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Taxonomy
Described subspecies of Tyto novaehollandiae include:- T. n. calabyi I.J. Mason, 1983, (southern New GuineaNew GuineaNew Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
) - T. n. castanops (Gould, 1837), Tasmanian Masked OwlTasmanian Masked OwlThe Tasmanian Masked Owl is a bird in the barn-owl family Tytonidae that is endemic to the island state of Tasmania, Australia. It is the largest subspecies of the Australian Masked Owl, the largest Tyto owl in the world, and is sometimes considered a full species...
(TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and Lord Howe IslandLord Howe IslandLord Howe Island is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, directly east of mainland Port Macquarie, and about from Norfolk Island. The island is about 11 km long and between 2.8 km and 0.6 km wide with an area of...
) - T. n. galei Mathews, 1914, (Cape York PeninsulaCape York PeninsulaCape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
) - T. n. kimberli Mathews, 1912, (northern mainland Australia)
- T. n. melvillensis Mathews, 1912, (Tiwi IslandsTiwi IslandsThe Tiwi Islands are part of Australia's Northern Territory, north of Darwin where the Arafura Sea joins the Timor Sea. They comprise Melville Island and Bathurst Island, with a combined area of ....
) - T. n. novaehollandiae (Stephens, 1826), (southern mainland Australia)
- T. n. troughtoni N.W. Cayley, 1931, Cave-nesting Masked Owl (Nullarbor PlainNullarbor PlainThe Nullarbor Plain is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its north. It is the world's largest single piece of limestone, and occupies an area of about...
, validity doubtful)
Description
Brown feathers surround a white, heart-shaped mask. Their coat is brown, aside from light gray spots on the upper back. Their front is white with brown spots. Their eye color varies from black to dark brown. Females are darker shaded and larger than males. A Masked Owl's weight is 23.3 ounces (660 g). Their wings generally span 35–47 cm. They are one of Australia's largest owls; the largest is the Powerful OwlPowerful Owl
The Powerful Owl , also known as the Powerful Boobok, is a species of owl native to south-eastern and eastern Australia, the largest owl on that continent...
.
Naming
Alternate common names have been used for this species in the past. For example:- Mouse-Owl – This was a name given to the species by Latham in 1821. It is thought to be due to its habit of catching mice at homesteads.
Habitat
The Australian Masked Owl inhabits shrubs,with timber. In Australia they are seldom found more than 300 km inland. They roost and nest in large tree hollows near foraging areas. They are nocturnal and their prey includes rodents, reptiles, birds, insects and bandicoots. The population of the Australian Masked Owl on the mainland is declining and several states have this owl on the Species Conservation Status list. They are territorial and remain in the same area all their lives.Reproduction
They breed when conditions are favorable which can be any time of the year. The nest is usually built in hollow trees with soil, mulch or sand. Namely the extinct population of the treeless Nullarbor PlainNullarbor Plain
The Nullarbor Plain is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its north. It is the world's largest single piece of limestone, and occupies an area of about...
used underground caves or rock crevices for nesting. The female lays two or three eggs and incubates them while the male hunts for food. The young are white or off white when they first develop feathers. They can leave the nest at two to three months of age but return to be fed by the parents for another month before going on their own.
Conservation status
The population of the Australian Masked Owl on the mainland is declining and several states have placed this owl on the Species Conservation Status list.In Victoria (Australia)
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, the Masked Owl is a listed threatened bird, and an Action Statement has been prepared under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.