Australian Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Australian Masked Owl

Tyto novaehollandiae (Stephens, 1826)

632 gWeight

The Australian masked owl (Tyto novaehollandiae), also the Australasian masked owl or simply the masked owl, especially in Australia, is a barn owl of Southern New Guinea and the non-desert areas of Australia.

Busiest months: December · Most records: Australia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: December · Most records: Australia

Australian Masked Owl has been recorded at 15 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Hunter Wetlands National Park – Ash IslandAustralia15 records
  2. Bunyip State ParkAustralia9 records
  3. Sheep Station Creek Conservation ParkAustralia8 records
More places
  1. Royal National Park – Lady Carrington DriveAustralia3 records
  2. Victoria Dam – Access road, track and picnic areaAustralia3 records
  3. Gluepot ReserveAustralia3 records
  4. Cattai WetlandsAustralia3 records
  5. Samford Eco CorridorAustralia2 records
  6. Banks Street ReserveAustralia2 records
  7. Lake Samsonvale – Postmans TrackAustralia2 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Australian masked owl (Tyto novaehollandiae), also the Australasian masked owl or simply the masked owl, especially in Australia, is a barn owl of Southern New Guinea and the non-desert areas of Australia.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Australian Masked Owl?

The Australian Masked Owl weighs around 632 g.

Where does the Australian Masked Owl live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: south-central New Guinea and Australia. It is most often recorded in Australia.

When is the best time to see the Australian Masked Owl?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in December (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Australian Masked Owl endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Australian Masked Owl as Least Concern.

What does the Australian Masked Owl eat?

Main food: Vertebrate prey.

What family is the Australian Masked Owl in?

It belongs to the family Barn Owls (Tytonidae), order Strigiformes.

At a glance

Weight
632 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Vertebrate prey
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
301 mm
Tail
130 mm
Bill
36 mm
Tarsus
65 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: south-central New Guinea and Australia

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Barn Owls Tytonidae
Genus
Tyto

Other birds in the genus Tyto

Greater Sooty OwlGreater Sooty OwlTyto tenebricosaLesser Sooty OwlLesser Sooty OwlTyto multipunctataMinahasa Masked OwlMinahasa Masked OwlTyto inexspectataTaliabu Masked OwlTaliabu Masked OwlTyto nigrobrunneaMoluccan Masked OwlMoluccan Masked OwlTyto sororculaManus Masked OwlManus Masked OwlTyto manusiGolden Masked OwlGolden Masked OwlTyto aurantiaSulawesi Masked OwlSulawesi Masked OwlTyto rosenbergiiRed OwlRed OwlTyto soumagneiWestern Barn OwlWestern Barn OwlTyto albaAmerican Barn OwlAmerican Barn OwlTyto furcataEastern Barn OwlEastern Barn OwlTyto javanica
Australian Masked Owl

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗

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