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Uncommon in drier eastern areas.
Not listed
Indigenous: Guurrguurr, Southern Boobook
At a glance
FamilyOwls
SizeLarge
RarityCommon
HabitatTimbered edges, open forest, suburban gardens with mature trees, and lightly wooded scrub.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from September to December.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Meena Haribal
Range map
Range map
1967visible hotspots
14599visible records
2states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
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
Mostly heard at night via their distinct double hoot call of 'more-pork'. Other calls are a monotonous 'more' or a rising 'quee' call, often given whilst hunting. Minimal overlap with introduced Little Owl, but differentiated by darker colouration, larger head, as well as longer tail. Note, rising 'quee' call can be mistaken for kiwi calls.
Behavior
Nocturnal and roosts during day in dense vegetation, particularly in tree ferns. Small birds mobbing them as they roost can give away their day-time location.
Gallery