Australian Masked Owl

The Australian Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae) is a barn owl of Southern New Guinea and the non-desert areas of Australia.

The Australian Masked Owl inhabits shrubs, with timber. In Australia they are seldom found more than 300 km inland. They roost and nest in large tree hollows near foraging areas. The population of the Australian Masked Owl on the mainland is declining and several states have this owl on the Species Conservation Status list. They are territorial and remain in the same area all their live.

They breed when conditions are favorable which can be any time of the year. The nest is usually built in hollow trees with soil, mulch or sand. Namely the extinct population of the treeless Nullarbor Plain used underground caves or rock crevices for nesting. The female lays two or three eggs and incubates them while the male hunts for food. The young are white or off white when they first develop feathers. They can leave the nest at two to three months of age but return to be fed by the parents for another month before going on their own.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Masked_Owl - 10.11.2008