Barking owl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Barking owl |
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Ninox
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connivens
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The barking owl (Ninox connivens) is also known as the winking owl. It is a nocturnal bird that lives in Australia, New Guinea, and the Moluccas. These owls are medium-sized and brown. They have a special voice that sounds like a barking dog. Sometimes, their calls can even sound like a human howling or screaming.
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Why is it Called the Barking Owl?
This owl gets its name from its unique barking sound. For a short time, it was called the "barking boobook." But this name was not commonly used in Australia. So, it was changed back to barking owl. The Yanyuwa people call this owl mulurrku.
Owl Family and Types
The barking owl was first described in 1801 by an English bird expert, John Latham. He gave it the scientific name Falco connivens. The word connivens means 'winking' in Latin. Latham noted that the owl could amazingly open and close its eye's iris.
There are five different types, or subspecies, of barking owls:
- N. c. rufostrigata lives in the northern Maluku Islands.
- N. b. remigialis is found in the Kai Islands.
- N. c. assimilis lives in eastern New Guinea and nearby islands.
- N. c. peninsularis is found in northern Australia.
- N. c. connivens lives in southwest, east, and southeast Australia.
What Does the Barking Owl Look Like?
The barking owl is brown with white spots on its wings. Its chest has vertical streaks. They have big yellow eyes and yellow skin on their feet. Their tail and flight feathers have strong brown and white bands.
These owls are strong and medium-sized. They are about 39–44 cm (15–17 in) long. Their wings can spread between 85 and 120 cm (33 and 47 in) wide. They usually weigh between 380 and 960 g (13 and 34 oz). Male barking owls are a little heavier than females. In southern Australia, the owls are larger. The smallest ones are found on the Cape York Peninsula.
Where Do Barking Owls Live?
Barking owls live in mainland Australia, especially along the eastern and northern coasts. They are also found near Perth, Western Australia in the southwest. Inland, they live near lakes, rivers, or other wooded areas. They also live in drier parts of New Guinea and the Moluccas. Barking owls used to be common, but now they are less common in southern Australia.
They prefer forests or woodlands with large trees. These trees provide hollows for nesting and leaves for resting. They often live near rivers, swamps, or creeks. These places have big trees with hollows and plenty of food.
Sometimes, barking owls get used to people. They might even nest in streets or near farmhouses.
How Do Barking Owls Behave?
What Do Barking Owls Eat?
The barking owl eats many different kinds of food. They hunt in forests and open areas. They often use trees to watch for prey. They catch food from the ground, trees, water, and even in the air.
Their diet includes small mammals like mice and small marsupials. They also eat larger animals like rabbits and brushtail possums. Sugar gliders and bats are common prey.
They also eat birds, even large ones like sulphur-crested cockatoos and ducks. Smaller birds are eaten more often. The tawny frogmouth, another nocturnal bird, is a frequent meal. Insects like beetles and moths are often caught while flying. Sometimes, they eat frogs, reptiles, fish, or crabs. Basically, if a barking owl can find an animal its size or smaller, it might eat it!
How Do Barking Owls Breed?
Barking owls breed from July to September in northern Australia. In the south, they breed from August to October. They build their nests in large hollows of old eucalyptus trees, usually near a river. The nest is made of old plant material.
A female owl lays 2 or 3 dull-white eggs. Each egg is about 48 by 38 mm (1.9 by 1.5 in). The female sits on the eggs for about 36 days to keep them warm. This is called incubation. When the young owls hatch, they are covered in white fluff. They learn to fly after 5 to 6 weeks.
What Do Barking Owls Sound Like?
Most people hear barking owls rather than see them. This is because they have a very loud voice! Their main call sounds like a double 'hoot'. It is very similar to a dog's bark. It can be hard to tell the difference between an owl and a small dog. This is how they got their name.
Male owls 'bark' at a lower sound than females. Especially when a pair calls together. The barks can change in how loud or high-pitched they are. Loud barks are used to mark their territory. Softer barks are used by the male to call the female for food near the nest.
Barking owls also make other sounds. These include growls, howls, screams, bleating, and twittering. Growls and howls are used when they feel threatened, especially when nesting. A low growl is a warning. This can become a louder, higher-pitched howl if the threat continues. Sometimes, they even dive at the intruder while howling.
The most extreme sound is a scream. It is said to sound like a woman or child screaming in pain. Hearing this "screaming lady" is very rare. Many people only hear it once in their lives. While these screams are usually for nest defense, some owls make this call in other situations too. There are old stories about why the owl might make these screaming sounds.
Young barking owls make a soft, insect-like twittering sound. This is when they are begging for food. Female owls often make a gentle bleating sound when the male brings them food.
Protecting the Barking Owl
The barking owl is not listed as threatened across all of Australia. However, its protection status changes from state to state. For example:
- In Victoria, the barking owl is listed as 'Threatened'.
- On Victoria's 2007 list of threatened animals, it is listed as endangered.
- In New South Wales, it was listed as 'Vulnerable'.
Why are Barking Owls Declining?
In Victoria, the barking owl is the most threatened owl. It is thought there are fewer than 50 breeding pairs. Surveys in New South Wales also show that barking owls are rare. In southwest Australia, a survey found no barking owls at all.
However, in Queensland and the Northern Territory, barking owl calls are still common.
What Threatens Barking Owls?
The biggest threat to barking owls is the loss of their habitat. They need large trees with hollows for nesting. These hollows take a very long time to form, often 150–200 years. Many of these old trees are being lost.
Hollows are also important for the animals the owls eat, like gliders and possums. When these prey animals decline, it also affects the owls. Sometimes, owls eat introduced animals like European rabbits. But if rabbit numbers drop, it is unknown how the owls will manage. Poisons used to control rabbits can also harm owls.
Barking Owls in Old Stories
When early settlers came to Australia, Aboriginal people told them about a fearsome creature called the bunyip. This creature was said to live in swamps, rivers, and waterholes. The bunyip was described in many ways. It was said to make cries and noises from swamps at night.
Many people believe that the "screaming lady" sound of the barking owl is what started the bunyip stories. The owl's sounds, where it lives, and how rare its screams are, all fit the bunyip myth. While it is not fully proven, the barking owl is the most likely explanation for the bunyip's cries.
See also
In Spanish: Ninox connivens para niños
