Australian Masked Owl

About the Australian Masked Owl

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. Described subspecies of Tyto novaehollandiae include:

T. n. calabyi I.J. Mason, 1983, (southern New Guinea) T. n. castanops (Gould, 1837), Tasmanian masked owl (Tasmania and introduced to Lord Howe Island) T. n. galei Mathews, 1914, (Cape York Peninsula) T. n. kimberli (Mathews, 1912), Northern masked owl (northern mainland Australia)

T. n. melvillensis Mathews, 1912, (Tiwi Islands) T. n. novaehollandiae (Stephens, 1826), (southern mainland Australia) T. n. troughtoni N.W. Cayley, 1931, cave-nesting masked owl (Nullarbor Plain, validity doubtful) Brown feathers surround a white, heart-shaped mask. Their dorsal plumage is brown, aside from light gray spots on the upper back. Their front is white with brown spots. Their eye color varies from black to dark brown. The species have sexual dimorphism, females are darker shaded and larger than males.

Male masked owls' weights ranges from 420 to 800 g (0.93 to 1.76 lb), while females are typically... Wikipedia →