Barking Owls in the Piliga

The main objective of our study is examine the importance of forest “edges”, and particular forest types, as nesting, roosting and foraging habitat for the Barking Owl Ninox connivens in the Piliga forests.  Current interim forestry prescriptions in the region were strongly influenced by the perception that Barkers need forest edges of some type.  Accordingly, three pairs were selected in our study that had major creeks (usually dry sand beds) running through their estimated home-ranges, two pairs were selected that had substantial areas of forest / paddock edges within their estimated home ranges, and another three pairs were selected that had no creeks and no paddocks anywhere near their home-ranges (i.e. forest interior only).  The attachment of a radio-transmitter on at least one member of each pair will enable us to locate the nest tree, most of the roost trees (and thus enable us to determine diet from the large sample of pellets that can be collected), to calculate approximate home-range size, and to obtain useful information on the forest types used most frequently for hunting.  Although eight territories is barely sufficient to assess the importance of forest edges, we hope to augment our data on reproductive success (a key variable) by the addition of another seven territories (where the birds are untagged) nest trees located during 2003.

 Volunteer involvement sought

So far we have been very fortunate to obtain assistance from a number of volunteers including Jonny Schoenjahn (a Raptorphiles from Broome studying Grey Falcons Falco hypoleucos), Marco Granzinolli (a Brazilian ecologist studying diurnal birds of prey), Bérénice Denis (a French uni. student on work experience) and Victor Hurley (our el Presidenté).  We expect that our radio-transmitters will last until autumn 2005, at which time the birds will be re-trapped and the transmitters removed.  ARA volunteers are sought for up to 14 days each for the autumn 2005 trapping and tracking.

Fig 1: Release of Barking Owl.  Follow me!                    Fig2: All banded, tagged and ready to go!

Contact

Dr Rod Kavanagh

Forest Research Division,

NSW Department of Primary Industries (formerly State Forests of NSW)

P.O. Box 100, Beecroft, NSW 2119

(Ph.) 02 9872 0160 

(Email) rodk@sf.nsw.gov.au