Powerful boobook, Powerful owl
The Powerful owl is native to south-eastern and eastern Australia and is the largest owl on the continent. It is found in coastal areas and in the Great Dividing Range rarely more than 200 km (120 mi) inland. An apex predator in its narrow distribution, the Powerful owl is often an opportunist like most predators, but generally hunts arboreal mammals, in particular small to medium-sized marsupials. It is a typically territorial raptorial bird that maintains a large home range and has long intervals between egg-laying and hatching of clutches. Unlike most raptorial birds, male Powerful owls are larger and stronger than females and so the male takes the dominant position in the mating pair, which extends to food distribution.
No
NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Ar
ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
Pr
PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
Gl
GlidingGliding flight is heavier-than-air flight without the use of thrust and is employed by gliding animals. Birds in particular use gliding flight to m...
Al
AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
A territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
An apex predator, also known as a top predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain and has no natural predators. These animals usually occup...
Mo
MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
So
SocialNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
P
starts withThe powerful owl has a long tail and a small head, giving it an atypical silhouette for an owl and imparting a more hawk-like appearance than any other large owl. The protruding bill and distinct brow ridges enhance the hawk-like appearance of the species. The facial disc is ill-defined. The upper parts are dark grey-brown, mottled, and barred with whitish. The underparts are white with bold, grey-brown, V-shaped barring. The tail has six narrow white bars contrasting with grey-brown. This species has large yellow eyes, with greyish feathering down to the base of the toes and feet of a dull yellow color. They are aptly named, with very powerful and heavy claws. This owl is the largest species of the "hawk owl" group found in much of Asia and the Australasian region, all included in the genus Ninox.
Powerful owls can be found from Eungella and the Dawson River in Queensland south to the central highlands of Victoria and west to Mount Burr in South Australia, the range terminating around Portland, Victoria. They inhabit tall, humid forests ranging through to some drier woodlands in northern Victoria and the western slopes of New South Wales and Queensland. Powerful owls can be found in wooded mountain gullies, forested ravines, wetter, heavily timbered sub-coastal ranges, coastal forests and woodland, and coastal scrub. They will also occasionally range into plantations, mainly of pine or native tree species, and urban and rural parks and gardens.
These birds live in breeding pairs and have been observed roosting singly, in pairs, and in family groups of 3 or 4. They frequently roost during the day on branches in tall, open trees, often while still holding the prey caught the prior night. Powerful owls typically fly in a slow and deliberate way on their large wings. They are top nocturnal predators of the forests and woodlands in their range. The vast majority of prey is taken from trees, often in or near the tree canopy. Powerful owls generally glide from perch to perch, watching for prey activity in surrounding trees until potential prey is detected. If the prey becomes aware of the owl too soon, a tail-chase may ensue but many prey species (even diurnal ones) can successfully evade the large predator. Powerful owls frequently take apart prey and consume piecemeal. At daytime perches, they occasionally wake to consume food until leaving the roost in the evening. These birds communicate with the help of various vocalizations. The males' song is an impressive low, rather mournful-sounding and far-carrying double-hoot, 'whoo-hooo'. Females have a similar call but have a higher-pitched voice. Duets are frequently heard at the onset of breeding; unpaired males frequently call much more regularly than paired ones.
Powerful owls are carnivores. Their diet consists mainly of arboreal mammals such as the greater glider, ringtail possums, brushtail possums, koala, sugar glider, and feathertail gliders. They may also take roosting birds, insects, and ground-dwelling mammals.
Powerful owls are monogamous mate for life. They breed in the Australian winter, mainly in May and June. The nest is usually located a large hollow in a tree and lined with decaying debris and leaf litter. The female lays 2 (sometimes 1) eggs and incubates them about 36 to 38 days. The male does all hunting and sometimes aggressively defends the nesting during the brooding stage. Owlets are born altricial; they are mostly off-white with a greyish-brown mask and grey on the wings and coverts. The young fledge at 6 to 8 weeks but typically accompany and are fed by their parents for several months even until they can fly well; the total dependence period usually lasting 5 to 9 months before independence, and sometimes into the next breeding season.
These birds are not threatened but they suffer from habitat loss, poisoning, and disturbance. Powerful owls are often victim to and occasionally even injured by heavy mobbing by larger passerines such as currawongs, magpies, and crows and ravens.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total Powerful owl population size is around 3,250-4,250 individuals, equating roughly to 2,200-2,800 mature individuals. Specific populations have been estimated in such areas: fewer than 500 pairs (1,000 individuals) in Victoria; approximately 1,000-1,500 pairs in north-east New South Wales (approximately 2,000-3,000 individuals) and approximately 125 pairs (250 individuals) in south-east New South Wales. Overall, currently, Powerful owls are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and their numbers today are stable.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...