This is a barking owl staring at his prey

I really like owls and one of the most fascinating species of owl in Australia is the barking owl.

Here are five interesting facts about them:

1. These wonderful owls grow to about 40 cm long.
2. They get their name from the dog-like bark that they make.  They have another call that sounds like a person screaming.
3. During the non-breeding season, barking owls mainly eat insects, but during the breeding season, they eat a wide range of birds (up to the size of ducks), mammals (up to the size of rabbits) and small reptiles.  Like most other owls, they hunt at night.
4. Their breeding time is July-September and they lay 2-3 eggs in a tree hollow.  The female incubates the eggs and the chicks take about 5 weeks to fledge.
5. Barking owls are found around the coastal regions of Australia and New Guinea.  They live in open woodlands with very large trees near water.  Their numbers are dropping throughout most of their range due to trees being cut down and competition with cats and foxes.

I hope that you found these facts interesting and learned something new.

Are there any other interesting facts that you would like to share about barking owls?