Urban Powerful Owls

How do powerful owls move through urbanizing landscapes? Our latest research with GPS trackers shows the importance of riparian corridors and high tree cover zones. In particular these areas are key hunting zones. More detail here 👇🏽sciencedirect.com/science/articl… (Open access)

Killing rats is killing our owls and frogmouths. aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%…

There's shocking new evidence of rodenticide poisoning in Australia's nocturnal predatory birds. High concentrations of the active ingredients were found in 92% of the 60 dead birds they tested, write @JWhiteWildlife + Raylene Cooke (@Deakin). #Echobox=1692948214" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">theconversation.com/rat-poison-is-…

Please, stop using second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides. Why? And what can I do instead? Read 👉 theconversation.com/rat-poison-is-… - @JWhiteWildlife @CookeRaylene @ConversationEDU

Hot off the press! Owls and frogmouths exposed to second generation anticoagulant rodenticides. Please share to help encourage people to stop using these damaging poisons. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Last nights little adventure. Our 6th powerful owl for the season caught and safely released with her own GPS tracker. Where will she go? Time will hopefully tell.

A nice article on the teamwork behind returning a powerful owl chick to the wild. Also a reminder that 2nd generation rodenticides suck! aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%…

Squuueeee!!! Floof ball alert the baby powerful owls are emerging from their hollows. This one in a landscape with lots of agriculture. Its mum had a range that covered a massive area to link patches of bush. Those linkages in the landscape are ohhh so important.

Hot off the press. Using thresholds to determine priorities for apex predator conservation in an urban landscape. Cool research by @bradsey and the @UrbanPowerfuls team. Hope you enjoy it. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Another powerful owl heading off with a GPS tracker. This one decided to stare down the lens of the camera as it was released. Really looking forward to seeing where this one goes.

Lethal Weapons. When you are a possum assassin like this powerful owl you need some pretty decent tools for doing the job. Is it rude to tell her she has hairy toes??

Waiting for a UHF data dump from the GPS on this superb hulking great possum assassin. Then off to try and catch another owl in a territory a few km’s from where we are. Interestingly this bird has a colour band, but we are unaware of any powerful owl banding in the past 15 years

Pouring over maps, then searching potential habitat. This one was a fair way up a very steep gully, but we found a new owl territory. No idea how we will be able to trap her for a GPS tracker.

Woo Hoooooo! Off heads another powerful owl carrying a GPS tracker. Where will she go? Time will tell. The data will be critical in helping local government plan around her need for habitat.

Finding this Powerful Owlet always brings joy. He was the first I ever saw and will always be my favourite. Very much an urban owl, big enough and, almost ready to leave, I hope he finds somewhere safe to call home.

ALERT! Powerful owls don't generally eat rodents yet in this paper we show 83% of them have rat poison in their livers. Likely explanation possums are eating rat poison and being eaten by owls! Extremely concerning on many levels. New threatening process? authors.elsevier.com/c/1eRxxB8ccudRp

Powerful owls and rodenticides. In this paper we propose powerful owls are being poisoned via accidental (or deliberate) poisoning of brushtail possums. This link provides free access to the full paper. authors.elsevier.com/c/1eRxxB8ccudRp

Ever put rat poisons out in your roof cavity? Chances are more than rats will eat the poison and if it is a possum then you could be poisoning our amazing powerful owls! sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Hot off the press. Powerful owls exposed to second generation anticoagulant rodent poisons. Likely a case of accidentally poisoning of possums with rat poison then ending up in owls. We need to rethink how we use these poisons. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

A new confirmed breeding pair of powerful owls for urban Melbourne. Had to wade through a swamp, hack through blackberry, but we can confirm they had twins. The parents sure knew how to hide them away. Clever parents. @UrbanPowerfuls

Stunning photos! And isn't she well camouflaged against that tree hollow! #PowerfulOwl #UrbanBirds #BirdsInBackyards @hollowsashomes @UrbanPowerfuls