[Birding-Aus] Mystery owl at Gluepot

Bert Harris

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Dec 19, 2009, 10:50:13 PM12/19/09

to birdi...@vicnet.net.au, Martin Breed, and...@naturetravelspecialists.com, bill....@adelaide.edu.au

Dear all,

We found a pair of interesting owls roosting at Gluepot, SA last weekend.
They seemed large for boobooks but I have only seen one boobok before. Is
there any chance this is a Barking Owl?

Photos are at:
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/martin.breed/BoobookOwlGluepotDec09#

Thanks heaps for your help!

-Bert Harris
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Greg & Val Clancy

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Dec 20, 2009, 9:01:13 PM12/20/09

to Bert Harris, birdi...@vicnet.net.au, Martin Breed, and...@naturetravelspecialists.com, Stephen Debus, bill....@adelaide.edu.au

Hi Bert,

I am confident that the owl is a Southern Boobook but it is very unusually
coloured. Were both birds similarly coloured? The white 'eyebrows' are a
Boobook character. Barking Owls tend to appear to be staring with large
yellow eyes. They also have yellow feet. The colour of the eyes and feet
are not clear in your photos but do not appear to be yellow. The general
shape is also boobook.

Regards

Greg

Andrew Haffenden

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Dec 20, 2009, 11:21:14 PM12/20/09

to Greg & Val Clancy, birdi...@vicnet.net.au, Martin Breed, Stephen Debus, bill....@adelaide.edu.au

Should have "replied all" when I sent this to Bert (who'd father I spent a
cold but fun day birding with yesterday, Bert also turned up late after a
long flight back from Oz)

"Bert, it's hard without having any sense of size, but the proportions of
the bird - the big head relative to body - suggest boobook, not barking.
Also, the mask is pretty complete, unlike barking where the mask is broken
up."

On another note, I've seen boobook of that color in North Queensland, a fair
way from this one's home I'll admit.

Cheers,

Andrew Haffenden

Peter Shute

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Dec 20, 2009, 11:58:04 PM12/20/09

to Andrew Haffenden, Greg & Val Clancy, birdi...@vicnet.net.au, Martin Breed, Stephen Debus, bill....@adelaide.edu.au

It looks a lot like the immature boobook shown in Pizzey & Knight.

Peter Shute

________________________________________
From: birding-a...@vicnet.net.au [birding-a...@vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of Andrew Haffenden [and...@natsp.com]
Sent: Monday, 21 December 2009 3:21 PM
To: 'Greg & Val Clancy'; birdi...@vicnet.net.au
Cc: 'Martin Breed'; 'Stephen Debus'; bill....@adelaide.edu.au
Subject: RE: [Birding-Aus] Mystery owl at Gluepot