Abundance: Moderately common. Breed in wet forests in eastern and
south-eastern coastal areas of Australia, including Queensland, New South
Wales and Victoria, and in New Guinea. Habitat: Closed and tall open forests especially gullies. Active in
canopy. Diet consists of gliders, possums, antechinuses, rats and rabbits. Description: Robust; crouched posture. Large, black eyes. Round mask;
dark-grey border, grey disc, darker nearer eyes. Upperparts, underparts dark
brownish-grey densely whitish-flecked. Belly paler grey, mottled whitish.
Tail stumpy. Feathered legs. Heavy feet. Size: Female 48cm. Male 40cm. Voice: Female drawn-out descending whistle; Male shorter call, less pitch
drop.
In 1995, the University of New South Wales began a research study of Sooty
Owls found living in a cave in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. Cave
breeding by Sooty Owls had never before been recorded, and the owls were
found in a nest cavity, high on the wall of the limestone cave. It is
thought that the site has been occupied by owls for an incredible 10,000
years, taking it back to a time when humans were cave dwellers themselves.
