Yesterday, thanks to a very helpful chap who works in the office at the Royal Botanic Gardens we saw the Powerful Owl in what we understand to be the tree it’s often seen in near Government House and a pair of Tawny Frogmouths in a palm-type tree on the slope not far below it. One question: The owl was holding what looked like a large rat in its talons, on other occasions it’s been reported with a ringtail possum. Other Powerful Owl reports mention perched birds also holding prey during daylight hours. Why don’t they consume it when they catch it? Why do they hold it apparently throughout the day before consuming it?
Jill & Sue
Jill Rossiter & Sue Casson cassiter@bigpond.com PO Box 17 HORNSBY NSW 1630 02 9487 2496 Mobiles: 0409 578320(Jill); 0417 578320(Sue) ===============================
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One response to “Powerful Owl Tawny Frogmouths, Sydney Botanic Gardens”
this is well-known behaviour, and has been reported in Powerful and Barking Owls, and I’ve personally seen a Boobook owl drop a dead rosella when flushed from its daytime roost. (It’s also known in non-Australian species of owls). An article in the Biological Journal of the Linnaean Society suggests its possibly a territorial display or food storage behaviour, and is usually confined to breeding age males of the larger Ninox owl species. The Powerful owl which took up residence in the National Botanic Gardens a few years ago was seen several times holding prey during daylight hours. sandra henderson, Canberra
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