One of the 10 owls on WAnimals
Birds · Strigiformes · Strigidae
Powerful Owl
Ninox strenua
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
It is the largest owl in Australia and, unlike most of its genus, the male is bigger than the female and takes the dominant role in the breeding pair.
Weight
990 g – 2.2 kg
Size
45 cm – 65 cm
Lifespan
6 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- It is the largest owl in Australia.
- The male is larger than the female, which is unusual among owls.
- It often roosts by day still gripping the remains of its last kill.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Wet and sclerophyll forest of eastern and south-eastern Australia, the Great Dividing Range included
- Birth weight
- Exact weight at hatching not found as a precise figure
- Size at birth
- Altricial at hatching
- Sexual maturity
- Not precisely known (the young may stay in their parents' territory for up to a year)
- Gestation / incubation
- 36-38 days
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 to 2 eggs per clutch (most commonly 2)
Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Australian Geographic; The Owl Pages; The Animal Facts; Birds in Backyards; Avibase; Wikipedia (Powerful owl)
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year round in south-eastern Australia, at night; it is often located by day from the prey remains piled beneath its roost.
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 17 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Powerful Owl — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Common Death Adder
Acanthophis antarcticus
Brown Tree Snake
Boiga irregularis
Tawny Frogmouth
Podargus strigoides
Least ConcernCarpet Python
Morelia spilota
Near ThreatenedSpotted-tailed Quoll
Dasyurus maculatus
Brown Antechinus
Antechinus stuartii
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about powerful owl.
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