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 LC    Australian Masked-Owl* Id (Atlas):
    Tyto novaehollandiae

Description (10)
Image of Australian Masked-Owl
 

Other Names (World)
Australian Masked-Owl, Masked Owl, Tasmanian Masked Owl, Cave Owl, Chestnut-faced Owl, Monkey-faced Owl, Man-faced Owl, Australian Masked Owl

Family
Tytonidae (Barn-owls)

Size
37 - 47 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Stephens, 1826)

Derivation
Tÿ'-to - Gk, tyto, night owl: nov'-ae-hol-land'-i-ae - N.L., of New Holland (Australia)

Habitat
Forests, open woodlands, farmlands with tall or dense mature trees, usually with a sparse understorey, adjoining open areas.

Range (Guide)
Australia (B), Indonesia (B), Papua New Guinea (B).

Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Usually singly but occasionally in pairs or family groups.

Food
Small mammals, reptiles, and occasionally birds.

Voice
Drawn-out screaching 'cush-cush-sh-sh' or 'quair-sh-sh-sh'. Also a very loud, musical shriek.



Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (25)...)

 
Australian Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae) [XC795106]
     by id from Busselton, Australia (call)

 
Australian Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae) [XC441953]
     by Boyd Wykes from Mount Field National Park (near Mount Field), Tasmania, Australia (call)

Nest
In a large hollow in a tree, usually high up. In arid treeless regions it will ocasionally use a cave or blow-hole.

Eggs (Guide)
Usually 3 - 5; off-white; ellipsoidal; about 43 - 50 x 35 - 38 mm. Incubation: about 35 days; by female. Eggs are laid on alternate nights.

Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in about 70 - 84 days. Brooded by female for first two weeks then by both parents.

Subspecies
Subspecies, sorocula, cayelii and manusi, are sometimes considered as separate species.

Australian Masked-Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae) and Tasmanian Masked-Owl (Tyto castanops) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) have been lumped into Tyto novaehollandiae following Christidis and Boles (1994).

The following 9 subspecies are recognised:

  • novaehollandiae (Stephens, 1826)   -  South-eastern Qld, eastern New South Wales, Vic., southern SA and southern WA.
  • castanops (Gould, 1837)   -  Tasmania, Maria Island. Introduced to Lord Howe Island. Also Maatsuyker I, where perhaps only vagrant. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Tasmanian Masked-Owl (Tyto castanops).
  • kimberli Mathews, 1912   -  North-eastern Qld, Cape York Peninsula, northern NT and north-eastern WA.
  • melvillensis Mathews, 1912   -  Melville Island and Bathhurst Island.
  • calabyi Mason, IJ, 1983   -  Southern New Guinea, in southern Trans-Fly region, from Merauke area to Tarara and Daru I.
  • sorocula (P. L. Sclater, 1883)   -  Tanimbar Island. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Lechuza de las Tanimbar (Tyto sororcula).
  • cayelii (Hartert, 1900)   -  Buru. Also Seram (probably this race). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Lechuza de las Tanimbar (Tyto sororcula).
  • manusi Rothschild and Hartert, 1914   -  Manus I. (Admiralty Islands). Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Manus Masked Owl (Tyto manusi).
  • galei Mathews, 1914   -  North-eastern Queensland (north-eastern Cape York Peninsula).



References
See References.

The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9


Files:
JPG files for Australian Masked-Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae) - 10 filesMP3 files for Australian Masked-Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae) - 1 files


More Information

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