Masked Owl - Nswfmpa.org

3.1.3 Distinguishing FeaturesThe masked owl is similar to the barn owl Tyto alba but is generally larger and darker.The facial disc is white and has short brown feathers around dark brown or black eyesforming a heart shape outline. The masked owl exists in several colour forms there iswide variation in plumage. The palest have a white face with a brown patch around eacheye, the darkest have a chestnut face. Underparts can be grey to dark brown with buff torufous mottling and fine pale spots or under parts can be white to rufous brown withvariable dark spotting. The wings and tail are well barred. Legs are fully feathered downto the toes and the feet are large and powerful.Figure 2 dark morph showing heart shaped face3.2 Distribution and HabitatThe Australian Masked Owl is a barn owl of Southern New Guinea and non-desert areasof Australia.Masked Owl habitat varies to some extent across its geographic range and in response tovegetation communities, vegetation structure and landscape. They are found across arange of habitats from wet sclerophyll forests, dry sclerophyll forest, non eucalyptdominant forest, scrub and cleared land with remnant old growth trees. there are howeverseveral aspects of habitat preference which appear to be in common: Masked Owlsrequire large hollows in old growth eucalypts for nesting; it often favours areas withdense understorey or ecotone comprising dense and sparse ground cover. They are oftenrecorded foraging within 100-300m of the boundary of two vegetation types. Areas near11