Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Picture of the Day 008

THE MASKED OWL


The Australian Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae) is a barn owl of Southern New Guinea and the non-desert areas of Australia.
Masked Owls show strong reverse sexual dimorphism (obvious differences between male and female). A male Masked Owl’s weight ranges from 420-800g, while females are typically much larger ranging from 545-1260 g. Length ranges between 330–410 mm for males and 390–500 mm for females. Wing span is up to 1280 mm for southern female Masked Owls.
They are nocturnal and their prey includes rodents, small dasyurids, possums, bandicoots, rabbits, bats, birds, reptiles and insects. Their population on the mainland is declining and several states have placed this owl on the Species Conservation Status list.

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