Greater Sooty Owl
Encyclopedia
"Black owl" redirects here. For the comic-book superhero, see Black Owl.
The Sooty Owl (Tyto tenebricosa), also known as the Greater Sooty Owl, is a medium to large owl
found in south-eastern Australia
, Montane rainforests of New Guinea
and have been seen on Flinders Island in the Bass Strait
. They have a finely white spotted head with scattered white spots on the wings. The females are lighter colored than the males. The females length is 37–43 cm and weighs 750-1000 gm. The male is smaller and length is 37–43 cm and weighs 500-700 gm. The wing length is 30–40 cm. The large dark eyes are set in a round large facial disk. The facial disk is dark gray silver or sooty black and has a heavy black edge. The upper part of the owl is black to dark gray and the under part is lighter. Their call is a piercing shriek which can last up to two seconds. The tail is short and the legs are feathered large black talons. They are nocturnal and hide in hollow tree trunks, caves and in tall trees with heavy foliage.
They feed on mammals ranging from large arboreal marsupials such as the Greater Glider, through Ringtail Possums and Sugar Gliders to bandicoots, rodents and antechinus. They occasionally take birds and insects. Sooty Owls are territorial and remain in the same area throughout their adult lives. Sooty owls have a distinctive range of calls including typical barn owl like rasps and screams, a distinctive "falling bomb" call and an insect like twitter used during territorial confrontations.
orial and sedentary throughout the year.
. However, their conservation status varies from state to state within Australia. For example:
The Sooty Owl (Tyto tenebricosa), also known as the Greater Sooty Owl, is a medium to large owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
found in south-eastern 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...
, Montane rainforests of 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 have been seen on Flinders Island in the Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
. They have a finely white spotted head with scattered white spots on the wings. The females are lighter colored than the males. The females length is 37–43 cm and weighs 750-1000 gm. The male is smaller and length is 37–43 cm and weighs 500-700 gm. The wing length is 30–40 cm. The large dark eyes are set in a round large facial disk. The facial disk is dark gray silver or sooty black and has a heavy black edge. The upper part of the owl is black to dark gray and the under part is lighter. Their call is a piercing shriek which can last up to two seconds. The tail is short and the legs are feathered large black talons. They are nocturnal and hide in hollow tree trunks, caves and in tall trees with heavy foliage.
Habitat
They are nocturnal and hide in hollow tree trunks, caves and in tall trees with heavy foliage during daylight hours. Rarely seen or heard they are territorial and can be found in areas with deep gullies in eucalyptus forests, where smooth-barked gum trees, tree ferns and tropical fruit trees are present. They hunt in drier areas but roost and breed in the moister areas.They feed on mammals ranging from large arboreal marsupials such as the Greater Glider, through Ringtail Possums and Sugar Gliders to bandicoots, rodents and antechinus. They occasionally take birds and insects. Sooty Owls are territorial and remain in the same area throughout their adult lives. Sooty owls have a distinctive range of calls including typical barn owl like rasps and screams, a distinctive "falling bomb" call and an insect like twitter used during territorial confrontations.
Reproduction
The nest is in a large hollow tree or a cave. The female remains in the nest for several weeks before she lays one or two dull white eggs from January through June. The incubation time is 42 days. The males brings food to the female who rarely leaves the nest. The young are born with dull grey down and can fly in threeorial and sedentary throughout the year.
Australia
Sooty Owls are not listed as threatened on the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and culturally significant places...
. However, their conservation status varies from state to state within Australia. For example:
- The Sooty Owl is listed as threatened on the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988). Under this Act, an Action Statement for the recovery and future management of this species has been prepared.
- On the 2007 advisory list of threatened vertebrate fauna in Victoria, the Sooty Owl is listed as vulnerableVulnerable speciesOn 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
. - On the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act, the Sooty Owl is scheduled as vulnerable.