The Powerful Owl is one of those special birds that everyone wants to see (and photograph). They are nocturnal of course, so hard to spot during the day. However, two were seen at Ironbark Gorge (Distillery Creek) on 8 August, and some great photos taken.
Powerful Owl (photo by Keith McLean)
They are 45-65 cm in length, with a wingspan of 112-135 cm, and unlike most owl species, the male is slightly larger than the female. The photos show that ‘powerful’ is a good name, and what about those claws? And here is their hoot-hoot: https://xeno-canto.org/1045856
Powerful Owl (photo by Keith McLean)
According to eBird, they are recorded infrequently on the Surf Coast – less than one per cent of bird lists record a sighting, but again most birdwatching is done during the day. Moggs Creek and Distillery Creek picnic areas are possible places to see them. A good indicator to watch out for is a lot of white droppings on the ground.
James Orton
