Scientific Name: Tyto alba

Lifespan: 2-4 years

Weight: 430-620g

Length: 32-40cm

Clutch Size: 4-6 eggs

Appearance:

pale overall with dark eyes. They have a mix of buff and gray on the head, back, and upperwings, and are white on the face, body, and underwings. When seen at night they can appear all white. The Females are larger than the males. 

Distribution:

Its distribution is limited only by habitat and food availability. Habitat: By day the Barn Owl roosts in hollow logs, caves or dense trees, and is usually seen alone or in pairs. 

Diet:

mostly on small mammals, mainly rodents, and birds, but some insects, frogs and lizards are also eaten.  

Scientific Name: Dacelo novaeguineae

Lifespan: up to 20 years

Weight: 310-380 g

Length: 40-45 cm in length

Clutch Size: 2-3

Appearance:

The Laughing Kookaburra is a member of the Kingfisher Family, it is off-white, faintly barred with brown feathers, and brown feathers on the back and the wings. The feathers on the tail are rufous, and barred with black. It also has a dark brown eye stripe. 

Call:

A loud ‘koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-kaa-kaa-kaa’ that is often heard in chorus with other individuals, has given the Laughing Kookaburra its English name. 

It also has a shorter call ‘koooaa’ that is used when they are in a family group. 

Distribution:

Laughing Kookaburra can be found throughout eastern Australia, Tasmania, the south-west of Western Australia and New Zealand. It lives in any areas that have suitable trees for them. It does overlap with the Blue-winged Kookaburra in Queensland, but the Blue-Winged Kookaburra tends to live in coastal areas. 

Diet:

They mostly feed on crustaceans, insects and worms. Although they would also eat birds, frogs, mammals and snakes.

The prey is snatched by swooping from a suitably high perch. Small sized prey are eaten whole compared to larger prey which is first killed.  

Scientific Name: Ninox boobook

Lifespan: up to 12 years

Weight: males 146–360 g and females 170–298 g

Length: 30-35cm

Clutch Size: 2-3

Appearance:

The Southern Boobook is the smallest and most common owl in Australia. It is identified by its plumage, which is dark chocolate-brown above and rufous-brown below, heavily streaked and spotted with white. The bill is grey with a darker tip, and the feet are grey or yellow.. 

Call:

A distinctive ‘boo-book’ or ‘mo-poke’.. 

Distribution:

throughout mainland Australia and Tasmania, and on some coastal islands.. 

Diet:

The Southern Boobook feeds on insects, small mammals and other small animal species. Feeding takes place mostly at night but some afternoon and morning activity may occur, especially on dull days. Most prey is detected by listening and watching from a suitable tall perch..  

Scientific Name: Podargus strigoides

Lifespan:  up to 14 years

Weight: 680g

Length: 34-53cm

Clutch Size: 1-3 eggs

Appearance:

Tawny frogmouths are large birds whose plumage is finely streaked and mottled in grey and brown.. 

Call:

low-pitched, repetitive ‘ooom-ooom’ sound.. 

Distribution:

Tawny frogmouths are found throughout most of the Australian mainland except in far western Queensland, the central Northern Territory, and most of the Nullarbor Plain. 

Diet:

Tawny Frogmouths eat insects and centipedes, worms, spiders, snails and slugs. Sometimes they eat larger prey like frogs, reptiles and small birds and mammals.

1. Many birds, including species of gulls, raptors and ducks, undergo a change in eye colour as they age from juvenile to adult. This is likely an adaptation that helps these birds recognise maturity and therefore suitability of a potential mate.
2. The peregrine falcon is one of the fastest animals on earth and can reach more than 320 km/h
3. Raptors save energy while soaring by riding rising air currents and gusts of wind for extra altitude.
4. Not all raptors are alike. Falcons are more closely related to songbirds and parrots than they are to other birds of prey.
5. Owls swallow their prey whole, later regurgitating the fur and bones that are undigested.
6. Nocturnal owls species have pronounced facial discs that guide sounds into their ear openings. The shape of the discs can be altered to optimise sound detection
7. Falcons beaks have a sharp tomial ‘tooth’ that they use to quickly kill their prey
8. Falcons have small, cone-shaped bones in their nostrils to disrupt intense airflow and allow them to breathe easily during their fast descent.