Behaviour and Diet of the Barking Owl Ninox connivens in South-eastern Queensland

Abstract

A pair of Barking Owls Ninox connivens was observed in southern Queensland, in late afternoon/evening over two months from mid August to mid October 1995, in the pre-laying phase. The owls roosted and mated in riparian closed forest and foraged in the adjoining open forest and woodland. They used short-stay perch hunting and hawking in the early part of the evening, while it was still light, and stationary scanning from perches later in the evening. Pellets and remains of a prey item revealed a diet of Sugar Gliders Petaurus breviceps, a Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides, an unidentified small bird, grasshoppers and Lingicorn (cerambycid) beetles. The owls' calling and mating behaviour is described.