Australian Masked-Owl — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Bird guideAustralian Masked-Owl

Roosts in caves and tree hollows by day; its heart-shaped facial disc channels sound to asymmetrical ears for pinpoint hunting.

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⚠️VIC: Vulnerable; QLD: Endangered; NT: Critically Endangered

🚫Sensitive species — location data may be restricted

At a glance

FamilyBarn-Owls

SizeMedium

RarityCommon

HabitatOpen forest, woodland, farmland, and lightly treed country with large old trees or hollows for roosting and nesting.

Best timeReported across most months in New South Wales, with no narrow seasonal peak.

Sounds

Sound sample

0:000:00

Recorded by Marc Anderson

Range map

Occurrence window

200approx hotspots

4380approx records

5states

Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Variable in size and color, ranging from larger, browner birds in Tasmania through to smaller, paler birds in northwestern Australia. This species is generally larger, darker, larger-legged, and more heavily spotted than Barn Owl.

Behavior

Nests in a variety of habitats; requires hollows of very large trees for nest sites, and these may be in both drier and wetter forest types. Call includes a loud explosive hiss.

Gallery