Diet of powerful owls (Nixox strenua) living near Melbourne, Victoria

Abstract

The diet of powerful owls (Ninox strenua) living at Christmas Hills, 35 km north-east of Melboume, was examined by analysis of 686 regurgitated pellets collected over two years. Mammalian prey was found in 89%, insects in 13%, vegetation in 11% and birds in 10% of the pellets. Of the mammals, common ringtail possums occurred most frequently in the pellets over the year. There was no seasonal difference in the frequency of occurrences of common ringtail possums and sugar gliders in pellets. However, common brushtail possums were more likely to be taken in spring than in the other seasons. More adult common ringtail possums were taken as prey than were other age classes over the year, except in summer when high numbers of young were consumed by the owls.

Roosting of the Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita

“…One possible predator could be the Powerful Owl Ninox strenua which has been recorded in the more extensive areas of woodland and forest at the margins of our study area (DBL unpubl. data) and is known to prey on a range of relatively large birds (Tilley 1982;Lavazanian et al 1994). However, we are unaware of any records of C , galerita as a prey item of N. strenua.…”

The Diet of the Powerful Owl Ninox strenua in the Rockhampton Area

“…The Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus has been reported as a frequently taken prey item in a number of studies (e.g. Tilley 1982;Traill 1993;Lavazanian et al 1994;Pavey et al 1994;Pavey 1995), but at the present site no remains of that species were detected and no individuals were recorded in two spotlight hours. Pavey et al (1994) recorded flying-foxes Pteropus spp.…”

Predictive mapping of powerful owl (Ninox strenua) breeding sites using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in urban Melbourne, Australia

“…Recent studies, however, suggest that the powerful owl is more tolerant than initially thought, inhabiting urban fringe and highly urbanized environments in eastern Australia (Lavazanian et al, 1994;Pavey, 1993;Wallis et al, 1998;Webster et al, 1999b;Cooke et al, 2002b;Cooke and Wallis, 2004;Kavanagh, 2004). Being an opportunistic carnivore, the powerful owl will feed on a variety of medium sized arboreal marsupials (Cooke et al, 1997;Wallis et al, 1998;Kavanagh, 2002;Bilney et al, 2006).…”

“…Being an opportunistic carnivore, the powerful owl will feed on a variety of medium sized arboreal marsupials (Cooke et al, 1997;Wallis et al, 1998;Kavanagh, 2002;Bilney et al, 2006). Two of the powerful owl's predominant prey items, the common ringtail possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) and the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) are thriving in urban Melbourne (e.g., Lavazanian et al, 1994;Wallis et al, 1998;Cooke et al, 2006). The movement of powerful owls into urban fringe and highly urbanized environments may be influenced by the availability of its main prey species in such environments (Webster et al, 1999b;Cooke and Wallis, 2004).…”