The Masked owl is my favorite type of owl, so it is only fitting that I do this type on the first week of my blog. The Australian masked owl's scientific name is Tyto Novaehollandiae, and the owl is a silver-grey color, with some golden, brown, black, and tan feathers mixed in. The owl has a white heart-shaped face, and a white-speckled chest. It has dark black eyes, and a brown-grey speckled rim around its face. This owl looks a lot like the Barn owl, but is not, and lives in the forested land of Australia and New Guinea. There are other species of masked owl, like the golden masked owl, and they live pretty much where ever a barn owl can. Females are darker shaded and larger than males. Their wingspan is about 2 feet, and a bit bigger or smaller sometimes. These owls are territorial and may stay in the same area for a long time if they find they like the area and prey they can find there. Their young are, of course, very fluffy, and they live with their parents for 2-3 months and then come back for food for a month before going on their own. The nests are built in tree hollows with soil, mulch, or sand. The Female may lay 2-3 eggs each year and will incubate them while the male hunts for prey. Their diets include, but are not limited to: Rodents, squirrels, opossums, bandicoots, birds, insects, and rabbits. They are nocturnal, and are listed under "threatened" in the Species Conservation List.
 |
| Adult masked owl |
 |
| Young masked owl |
No comments:
Post a Comment