Powerful owl. Credit: Greg Sharkey

At 60 centimetres on average, this majestic bird is the largest Australian owl and one of the largest owls in the world. It has yellow eyes set in a dark grey-brown facial mask, and is dark grey to dark grey-brown above, with white barring, and off-white below with distinctive brown v-shaped chevrons and feathered legs. It has massive yellow to orange feet with sharp talons.

Where

Powerful owls are listed as vulnerable in NSW. Look out for them during the day in Booderee, perching silently close to the trunks of large, leafy trees in areas of tall trees.

Feeding

The powerful owl is a carnivore, hunting at night for larger marsupials such as possums and gliders - you may see one at night with a half eaten possum clutched in its talons.

It forages mainly in trees, swooping down and taking prey with its feet. The powerful owl is capable of virtually eliminating gliders from a patch of forest before moving on to more productive hunting grounds.

Breeding

Powerful owls mate for life and pairs defend an all-purpose territory year-round.

The male prepares the nest, usually a vertical hollow in a large old tree, and provides the female and young with a constant supply of food during the early part of the nesting period. The breeding pair produces one or two eggs, with the female incubating the eggs and brooding the young, emerging later in the nesting period to hunt for food as well. Young birds remain with the parents for several months and may stay within their parents’ territory for over a year.

Sounds

A loud hoo-hooo which is louder than most other owls.