Its contact call is recognized as a вЂњbomb whistleвЂќ and is easily one of the scariest sounds of the night. These birds are heavily reliant upon arboreal prey, favouring the large prey such as the Australian Greater Glider. Powerfully built, it is the heaviest of our Tytos. The Sooty Owl is the dark grey ghost of wet sclerophyll forests, hardly seen as it favours the dimly lit rain forest regions of south-eastern Australia. Two Masked Owls sitting among the branches of their hollow tree. They rely on old, large trees with hollows for breeding. This is one of our more elusive, shy owl species, which is predominately a terrestrial hunter targeting prey items such as Bandicoots. However, masked owls have much larger, powerful legs and a broader, rounded facial disc. This owl is often confused with the Eastern Barn Owl. (Image Credit: Matt Wright)ДЄustralian Masked OwlВ Tyto novaehollandiaeДЄ powerful Tyto owl, the Australian masked owl - aВ Tasmanian sub-species, is the largest Tyto owl in the world. This image shows the long trailing legs that are indicative of this species. The owl is known for its cricket like trill call. However in places where prey is abundant, loose colonies may occur. Found in northern and eastern parts of Australia, the owl regularly lives in localized pairings. ItвЂ™s almost featherless long legs trail behind its tail in flight when it hunts, gliding over low vegetation. The Grass Owl is larger than its Barn Owl counterpart. The Eastern Grass Owl is AustraliaвЂ™s only owl species that nests exclusively on the ground. This individual was photographed preening itself. They are often seen perched on wooden fence posts in farm regions at night awaiting the slight movements of its prey. This ghost like owl is often found in open country, farmland and woodlands. The population of these owls often explode during rodent plagues. This bird is heavily reliant upon rodent populations. The Barn Owl is the worldвЂ™s most recognized owl. Moreporks have been seen in southern Victoria such as this individual. Recently, it has been discovered that Tasmanian populations travel to mainland Australia during Spring with sightings in Victoria. Morepork eyes are a much brighter yellow than Southern Boobooks with a much more spotted appearance. Generally categorised together with the Southern Boobook, the Tasmanian and Norfolk Island owls are genetically related to the New Zealand Boobook (aka Morepork). The piercing yellow eyes of the Christmas Island Boobook. The owl is not often seen or photographed due to locality. They occupy the rain forest and coastal fringes of the island and rely on a diet of large insects, reptiles and amphibians. The colour of this Boobook appears to be a rich reddy brown. Found only on the island which is famous for its red crabs that number in the millions, the Christmas Island Boobook is unique to this area. On October 1st 1958, the Christmas Island Boobook was added to the Australian owl list. The smallest species Southern Boobook has slight variations in plumage across its sub-species. Their diet consists of large insects, small mammals and birds. The owl roosts in dense foliage or safely inside a tree hollow. They have one of the smallest territories of all Australian owls and can often see or hear multiple individuals when searching for them. A quintessential sound of the night is the double hoot (вЂњboo-bookвЂќ or mo-pokeвЂќ). The Southern Boobook is the smallest and most widespread owl, with 4 sub-species covering mainland Australia.

Sketch of owl