Prey Partitioning and Behaviour of Breeding Masked Owls Tyto novaehollandiae on the Central Coast of New South Wales

Abstract

 Masked Owls Tyto novaehollandiae were observed at a nest that successfully fledged two owlets near Newcastle, central coastal New South Wales, over winter 2005. The nest was situated in bushland supporting native mammal species. The female Owl was observed to bring Bush Rats Rattus fuscipes (n = 3) and a Petaurus glider to the nest. In contrast, the male brought only smaller prey including the Brown Antechinus Antechinus stuartii (n = 3) and House Mouse Mus domesticus (n = 3). The combined feeding rate in the second half of the nestling period, when the female Owl was hunting, was 1.2 items/h (n = 13.1 h) in the evenings.