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A juvenile (left) and adult (right) powerful owl (Ninox strenua).<\/p>\nBy day it\u2019s seemingly invisible. High in a gum tree canopy in Sydney\u2019s Northern Beaches, hidden by leaves, one of Australia\u2019s most formidable predators roosts silently, unnoticed by people going about their daily lives below. Measuring 60cm from head to tail, and with a 1.5m wingspan, the powerful owl (Ninox strenua) is Australia\u2019s largest owl species. This apex predator, which has giant talons and bright yellow eyes, sits at the very top of the food chain \u2013 but despite its imposing name, its future is anything but secure.<\/p>\n
For Northern Beaches local and nature photographer-turned-conservationist Andrew Gregory, protecting these magnificent birds has become something close to his life\u2019s mission. His journey began more than a decade ago after he witnessed a breeding pair abandon their nest following illegal land clearing near his home. \u201cThat\u2019s when I first realised how fragile it all was,\u201d Andrew says.<\/p>\n
Since then, he has spent countless hours \u2013 often working through the night \u2013 locating nesting hollows, rescuing injured owls, monitoring breeding sites and coordinating with BirdLife Australia\u2019s Powerful Owl Project, wildlife groups, local councils, researchers and private landholders. \u201cTo help the owls you need to work seamlessly amongst all those groups,\u201d Andrew says.<\/p>\n
A juvenile (left) and adult (right) powerful owl (Ninox strenua).<\/p>\n
Suburban habitats<\/p>\n
Powerful owls once depended on extensive old-growth forests. Increasingly, however, they\u2019re trying to survive in cities such as Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, where bushland remnants, reserves and even suburban backyards have become vital pieces of a fragmented puzzle.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no really clear definition between a reserve and a backyard,\u201d Andrew says of the bushy environments that define many suburbs in Sydney\u2019s north and make them such desirable places to live. \u201cSome people are very environmentally conscious, and their backyards are like mini wildlife protection areas,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
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Sitting high in the tree canopy, a juvenile powerful owl peers curiously at the world beneath its perch.<\/p>\n
These urban landscapes can still support powerful owls because they contain abundant native prey such as possums, flying-foxes and other birds, as well as introduced animals such as rats and rabbits. But surviving is not the same as thriving, and the greatest challenge is habitat loss.<\/p>\n
Powerful owls breed only in very large tree hollows, cavities that take centuries to form. As development intensifies, these old trees are disappearing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe number of trees that have gone from the local area is quite astounding,\u201d Andrew says. \u201cEvery house that has a possibility of having a [water] view now has a view.\u201d Even where vegetation remains, nesting sites are scarce because so few of the older, larger trees are left standing.<\/p>\n
Uncontrolled bushfires are clearly a risk, but so are hazard reduction burns, which can also affect precious hollow-bearing trees. \u201cIn some burns we can lose maybe 15\u201320 per cent of wildlife hollows when there\u2019s hazard reduction work. Embers get in and burn the hollows out,\u201d Andrew says.<\/p>\n
And then there are the dangers of urban and suburban areas. \u201cThey [the owls] hit powerlines, they hit cars, they hit windows and glass pool fences,\u201d Andrew says. \u201cWe seem to be able to make these hazards everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Light and noise pollution disrupt behaviour, and habitat fragmentation forces owls and their prey to cross into increasingly dangerous landscapes. \u201cYoung fledglings often end up on the ground where there are high casualties,\u201d Andrew says.<\/p>\n
Rodenticides pose another major threat, poisoning not only rats and mice but also possums and the predators that consume them. Research has shown many Australian birds of prey \u2013 including powerful owls \u2013 carry detectable levels of these poisons in their bodies.<\/p>\n
Still, Andrew remains hopeful. Much of his work today focuses on finding roosting and nesting sites using remote cameras and acoustic monitoring. The owl is a cryptic species, hiding out in difficult-to-reach places. \u201cUnless you know where they are, you can\u2019t really protect them fully,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Andrew is also helping to trial artificial nest boxes in areas where natural hollows have been lost. \u201cArtificial nest boxes aren\u2019t going to solve the problem, but in some places it\u2019s the only option,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
How to help<\/p>\n
There are things we can all do to help these magnificent denizens of our cities. Protect mature trees wherever possible. Plant native species and create layered vegetation in gardens to support powerful-owl prey. Avoid second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs). (In a rare win for conservation, consumer sales of SGAR products have recently been restricted, although scenes of stockpiling at retail outlets before the ban came into effect suggest they\u2019ll be used for some time to come.)<\/p>\n
The list goes on. Make large glass surfaces, such as pool fences, more visible to birds \u2013 especially for those that fly at night. Keep pets under control around bushland areas and, if you\u2019re lucky enough to have powerful owls in your neighbourhood, give them space and leave it to the professionals to monitor their presence. Support wildlife-friendly urban planning and join a bushcare group to meet fellow concerned citizens. Many voices are better than one when challenging nature-unfriendly decisions by locally elected bodies.<\/p>\n
And perhaps most importantly, help the people doing the work on the ground.<\/p>\n
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\nEvery injured powerful owl rescued contributes to the survival of the species.<\/p>\n
Andrew\u2019s conservation efforts involve long nights, specialist equipment, specially modified and infrared cameras, monitoring technology and rescue work. He has spent countless hours volunteering for the Powerful Owl Project and WIRES while also assisting Sydney Wildlife Rescue. Every nesting hollow identified, every injured owl rescued and every breeding pair protected contributes to the survival of a species living on the edge.<\/p>\n
For Andrew, the rewards make it worthwhile. \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve built relationships with them,\u201d he says. \u201cEach pair\u2019s completely different.\u201d<\/p>\n
And hidden among the suburbs of Sydney, the birds continue to inspire wonder. \u201cThey\u2019ve got these giant talons, yellow claws and these bright yellow eyes,\u201d Andrew says. \u201cParticularly the young owls as well. They can be quite beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n
The threats described by Andrew occur wherever the powerful owl\u2019s habitat overlaps with urban sprawl. This vulnerable species is endemic to eastern and south-eastern Australia \u2013 precisely where most Australians live.<\/p>\n
The future of the powerful owl will be shaped not at the remote edges of the continent, but where our expanding cities, suburbs and daily choices meet the natural world.<\/p>\n
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