Australian Masked Owl
A species of Tyto Scientific name : Tyto novaehollandiae Genus : Tyto
Australian Masked Owl, A species of Tyto
Botanical name: Tyto novaehollandiae
Genus: Tyto
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Don Roberson 
Description
Brown feathers surround a white, heart-shaped mask. Their dorsal plumage is brown, aside from light gray spots on the upper back. Their front is white with brown spots. Their eye color varies from black to dark brown. Females are darker shaded and larger than males. Male masked owls' weights ranges from 420–800 g, while females are typically much larger ranging from 545–1260 g. Length ranges between 330–410 mm for males and 390–500 mm for females. Wing span is up to 1280 mm for southern female masked owls. Masked owls follow the typical pattern of birds from the tropics being much smaller than birds from temperate regions. In this instance, Tasmanian masked owls are the largest. 
Size
33 - 57 cm
Feeding Habits
Australian Masked Owl preys on a wide range of animals including possums, marsupials, rodents, and occasionally birds and insects. This owl forages by hunting on the wing and perch-hunting mainly after dusk, showing a preference for small forest patches with open ground. Females may hunt larger prey than males, and they have large foraging ranges.
Habitat
Australian Masked Owl is typically found in diverse timbered habitats, ranging from tall open forests with large trees that provide nesting and roosting opportunities to open understoreys offering a mix of dense and sparse ground cover. They favor areas that grant access to open spaces for foraging, such as forest edges and open woodlands, and they adapt to a variety of forest types across broader geographic regions, including riparian woodlands and isolated tree stands. In northern regions, australian Masked Owl may occupy Melaleuca swamps and mangrove fringes, whereas in southern areas, they are known to utilize caves and rock clefts for nesting in treeless plains. Their distribution also extends to wooded farmlands and pine plantations.
Dite type
Carnivorous
General Info
Species Status
The population of the Australian masked owl on the mainland is declining and several states have placed this owl on the Species Conservation Status list. In Victoria (Australia), the masked owl is a listed threatened bird, and an Action Statement has been prepared under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. In New South Wales, the masked owl is scheduled as Vulnerable under the Biodiversity Conservation Act (2016).
