South-east Queensland is home to seven species of Owl. Being nocturnal, Owls are never easy to see and most of the encounters I have are when I hear the birds calling at night. Recently, I was out birding with a friend and we come across a Barking Owl which I rarely encounter in South-east Queensland. This particular bird had taken cover in a place that did not seem adequate as a day-time roost but was not being harassed by other birds and we observed from a distance to not disturb it. Barking Owls look similar to Southern Boobooks but are larger and have bright yellow eyes. The call of this particular owl is a distinctive ‘wook’ ‘wook’. It may sound similar to the call of the Southern Boobook but there is enough variation in the calls that they can be distinguished apart. Often these birds are seen in pairs and can be very territorial. If Barking Owls are subjected to sustained playback, they often will remain in the area calling for hours.
Barking Owl having a range that extends through the states and territories of Australia but does not include Tasmania. Most of my encounters with Barking Owls have been in Northern Australia. On one trip to the Northern Territory, it seems that nearly every couple of days we heard the birds calling. These birds require habitat that sustains hollows for them to breed in. I have observed them in Brigalow scrubs, along watercourses in farmlands and paperbark woodlands. Some pairs of Barking Owl are even present on the Gold Coast. For anyone wanting to see this owl species, it is best to search in areas where the birds are prevalent and to give them space. Being nocturnal, bright white light is not good for these birds and if one is out spotlighting, it is best to use red light to view all of Australia’s nocturnal wildlife. Looking for this owl species can be a challenge, but if you are travelling on Cape York, you should have no troubling hearing the birds call at night!
