A Tyto near the end of the runway at the Brisbane Airport (1 Viewer)

Laurie Knight

Well-known member

• Aug 23, 2009

• #1

G'day

I came across the following tyto at the viewing area near the end of the runway. There was a commotion which lead to this poor chap being flushed from the tree it was roosting in. It was harassed by a mixed flock of magpies, butcherbirds, noisy miners and peewees. At one stage, a butcherbird was yanking on it's primaries.

I believe that the spindly legs (image 133) mean that it is unlikely to be a male pale morph Masked Owl. On balance, I think it is more likely to be a Barn Owl than a Grass Owl (do Grass Owls roost in trees away from long grass?)

I would be interested in people's opinions regarding the bird, including its age and gender.

Regards, Laurie.

 

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Mat & Cathy

Well-known member

• Aug 23, 2009

• #2

Looks like a Barn Owl to me Laurie.
nice one.
cheers
Mat

 

D

Dcatt

Member

• Aug 24, 2009

• #3

Definately Tito Alba, didn't know you had em in Oz.
Dave

 

chris butterworth

aka The Person Named Above

• Aug 24, 2009

• #4

Yes, Barn Owl, it's too pale on the undersides to be a Grass Owl.
Chris

 

Bird Hard 2

Cynical Sceptic

• Aug 24, 2009

• #5

Well, I don't know if you can be so sure this is Barn Owl. Eastern Grass-owl can be very pale on the underside and the upperparts of this bird are very dark indeed. Add to that the appearence of long legs projecting beyond the tip of the tail in the flight shot, this could well be an Eastern Grass-owl.
Oh, and there's a site for EGO right next to Brisbane airport (where Barn Owls also occur).
I don't suppose you have any better shots of the legs both in flight and perched?

 

rockfowl

Mark Andrews

• Aug 24, 2009

• #6

I would agree, the foot projection seems too extensive for Barn Owl - http://www.noorderkempen.be/vogels/tekst/china_files/image029.jpg

 

Chris Benesh

So much work, so little time...so let's go birding

• Aug 24, 2009

• #7

Hi All,

I'm totally unfamiliar with Eastern Grass Owl in life, but all of the photos I've seen show them with very dark caps, including a rather blackish top edge to their facial disk. For examples, see:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/red_fox6000/3124221826/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/patpantangco/540528248/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelburn/2835445811/

I do not see this feature on Laurie's bird. Also, Laurie's bird seems to have the fuller Barn Owl shaped disk. As I say, I've yet to see an Eastern Grass Owl, so perhaps they are more variable than I know.

Chris

 

Bird Hard 2

Cynical Sceptic

• Aug 24, 2009

• #8

Yes, looking through photos today I've noticed this dark crown, but I've also noticed quite a bit of variation in individuals. One thing that I have noticed though, is that in the few flight shots that I've seen, EGO seems to have rather dusky wing tips, which although aren't always absent in Barn Owl, appear to be much more contrasting in EGO.

 

rockfowl

Mark Andrews

• Aug 24, 2009

• #9

Can Masked Owl be ruled out? Apart from the rather thin appearance of the legs, plumage also seems to fit. I've limited experience (1), is the foot projection similar?

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1440/1159744468_8e24dac0b5_o.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1018/805106121_ab84d1a216.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1314/805056795_353ab26069.jpg?v=1240963210

 

njlarsen

Gallery Moderator

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Aug 25, 2009

• #10

A couple of things from König, owls of the world:
1 Feathering on the legs: Australian Masked Owl has feet feathered to base of toes, varying in color from white to orange-buff. Eastern Grass Owl has lower half of tarsi unfeathered. Australian Barn Owl has legs feathered white down to lower third, the rest sparsely bristled. I made an enlargement of one picture to look at this in the query bird.

Plumage: Australian Barn Owl has upperside with no yellow or brown feathers, so I believe that one is out.
Grass Owl is described as having dark brown upperparts with yellow-ochre flecks and small white spots, which fits pretty well. Rim around facial disk not very pronounced also sounds reasonable.
Masked Owl in pale phase should have upperparts including wing-coverts greyish-brown with black and white spots (I can see white but no black). Underparts white with coarse dark markings, often arrowshaped.

So the main thing against Eastern Grass Owl is habits: they are in the book described as being very terrestrial, opposite of masked owl which likes to hide in dense foliage. It would not be first time that a book fails to mention exceptions to stated rules.

Niels

Edit: when comparing with plates, I would expect feathering to be visible further down the foot of a masked owl than what can be seen here

 

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njlarsen

Gallery Moderator

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Aug 25, 2009

• #11

So much for what the text said: this photo of a Barn Owl from Western Australia does seem to have brown and yellow in the upperside ...

Niels

 

D

Dcatt

Member

• Aug 25, 2009

• #12

Not familiar with Grass Owl, could this one be an hybrid?
Dave

 

Chris Benesh

So much work, so little time...so let's go birding

• Aug 25, 2009

• #13

njlarsen said:

A couple of things from König, owls of the world:
Plumage: Australian Barn Owl has upperside with no yellow or brown feathers, so I believe that one is out.

Click to expand...

As you subsequently noted, this statement seems erroneous to me. I've seen a lot of Barn Owls in Australia over the years, and I've never noticed them lacking yellow or custard tones to their upperparts. Perhaps they don't get as brown as other Tyto but still...

See this comparison bird:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7533960@N02/2248370628/

This seems a good match for the mystery bird, having largely grayish, white-spotted upperparts with blotches of butterscotch coloring.

Barn Owl is certainly by far the most common Tyto in most of Australia, and the most apt to be found at a place like the Brisbane Airport.

Chris

 

Laurie Knight

Well-known member

• Aug 25, 2009

• #14

Thanks for all your comments. The bird has been conclusively identified as a Barn Owl by the regional raptor/owl guru (Stephen Debus). Stephen thought it was probably a young bird, with its inexperience leading it to be caught "outside" in a vulnerable situation.

While Grass Owls do occur in the area, it would be very unusual for one to roost in a tree and then twice to break cover to land in another tree.

Regards, Laurie.