Coal Point chick hatched in a hollow

This is an exciting time of year for the Powerful Owls, when chicks start to emerge from the nest hollows! The local Powerful Owl pair have produced another white fluff-ball of a chick. It will gradually get more and more chevrons on its chest as it ages. Some lovely images by Paul van Gaal are on the Owls of Australia Facebook page.

From the Powerful Owl Project…

Powerful by name, and powerful by nature - the Powerful Owl Ninox strenua is Australia’s largest owl with an impressive wingspan of 135cm. It occurs from eastern and south-eastern Australia (east of the Great Dividing Range), from south-eastern Queensland to South Australia, mostly in large continuous forest. Despite being classified as threatened in all Australian states across its range, Powerful Owls can survive within cities. They are found throughout the suburbs of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Lake Mac, particularly where bushland remnants are close by. However, increasing urbanisation is likely to impact the long-term persistence of the Powerful Owl.

Despite their impressive size, little is known about the ecology of Powerful Owls, particularly those living in cities. Since 2011, the Powerful Owl Project, with the aid of citizen scientists, has collected critical data on the Powerful Owl population.The information gained from this study is used to inform the conservation status of the Powerful Owl, and help drive management recommendations for their continued survival in urban areas.

You can register to be a citizen scientist with the project through Birdlife Australia.

You can help these birds by:
• Having some trees in your yard for them to use
• Avoiding rat and mouse baits - eating a poisoned mouse can be deadly for these birds. Instead use traps to rid your house of these pests
• Installing a nest box. You can build your own using the dimensions outlined here.