Australia Barn Owl
| Australia Barn Owl | ||||||||||||
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Australia Barn Owl ( Tyto delicatula ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Tyto delicatula | ||||||||||||
| ( Gould , 1875) |
The Australian barn owl ( Tyto delicatula ), also known as the Australian barn owl, is a species of the barn owl genus. It occurs in four subspecies in Australia and on adjacent islands. It has long been considered a subspecies of the barn owl , but is viewed as an independent species in more recent literature.
features
The Australian barn owl is a very short-tailed, long-winged and pale barn owl species. It reaches a body length of 30 to 36 centimeters and weighs between 230 and 470 grams. The top of the body is greyish; brown spots are missing. There are fine black dots on the chest. The face veil and the underside of the body are pure white.
distribution and habitat
In addition to Australia, the Australian barn owl inhabits Tasmania, Sumba, Sawu, Roti, Timor, Jaco, Wetar, Kisar, Tanimbar, Nissan, Buka, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and the east of Papua New Guinea. The species was introduced in New Zealand.
The Australian barn owl is a very adaptable species and inhabits very different habitats. These include open forests, farmland, shrub steppes, grasslands, rocky areas and semi-deserts. It has also opened up human settlement space and is also found in cities and villages.
Way of life
The Australian barn owl is a nocturnal owl that transmits in tree hollows, in dense foliage or in crevices or similar. They use high standing or stalking flights to catch their prey. The food spectrum consists mainly of mice, small rat species and voles, bats, small bag mammals, lizards, frogs and small poultry. Insects and spiders also play a role. Larger moths are also caught in flight.
Subspecies
The following subspecies are included in the Australian barn owl:
| subspecies | Distribution area | Distinguishing features of the individual subspecies |
|---|---|---|
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Tyto delicatula delicatula ( Gould , 1837) |
Australian continent and adjacent islands | see description above |
| New Guinea Barn Owl T. d. meeki ( Rothschild & Hartert , 1907) |
especially the northern and western parts of New Guinea | It is white to silver-white underneath, the upper plumage and the tail are also very light. |
| Sumba Barn Owl T. d. sumbaensis ( Hartert , 1897) |
Sumba Island | The subspecies is white underneath and has characteristic pale, almost white tail feathers. |
| Santa Cruz Barn Owl T. d. interposita Mayr , 1935 |
Santa Cruz Islands, Banks Islands and Vanuatu | The underside of the body is ocher to orange-colored. |
supporting documents
Single receipts
- ↑ König et al., P. 209
literature
- Claus König , Friedhelm Weick: Owls of the World . Christopher Helm, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-7136-6548-2
