Diet of a barking owl 'Ninox connivens' in the channel country of south-western Queensland

Abstract

The few published studies on the diet of the Barking Owl 'Ninox connivens', all for temperate south-eastern Australia, have been summarized by Higgins (1999) and Debus (2001). On the basis of those studies, the owl has been characterized as a generalist predator of mammals, birds and invertebrates, but one that takes a higher proportion of diurnal birds than do other Australian owls. This note describes the diet of a non-breeding Barking Owl that was roosting on Cooper Creek in arid south-western Queensland. Although Barking Owls were heard calling at the locality, only one bird was observed at the roost.