Southern Boobook owl

Barking owl, Adelaide Zoo, South Australia

I was working late at my computer tonight when I heard a sound outside. I raced out, torch in hand. Sure enough – I heard a Southern Boobook owl calling. I tried to follow the sound but after walking across our five acre block of land it was still no closer.

I expect it was at least a kilometre away because the night was very still and sounds travels a long way on evenings like this. Still, it is a significant recording. On checking my bird database on my computer it is over 22 years since I last recorded this species here at home. That’s exciting.

The Southern Boobook  is  found over a large part of Australia and is our smallest owl. It is also called a Mopoke because of its call. It feeds on small mammals such as mice, insects, bats and  moths. It is almost entirely nocturnal but is sometimes seen out hunting on dull, cloudy days.

As yet I do not have a photo of this species taken in the wild. Instead I have a photo of a Powerful Owl taken through the wire of an aviary at the Adelaide Zoo.

You can read more about this owl on the Birds in Backyards site here.

You can read more about my encounters with owls, frogmouths and nightjars here.