SHOALHAVEN THREATENED SPECIES Powerful Scientific name: strenua in NSW: Vulnerable National conservation status: Not Listed

What does it look like? The Powerful Owl is the largest owl in . Adults reach 60 cm in length, have a wingspan of up to 140 cm and weigh up to 1.45 kilograms. The upper parts of the Powerful Owl are dark, greyish-brown with indistinct off-white bars. The underparts are whitish with dark greyish-brown V-shaped markings. The call of this species may be heard at any time of the year, but it is more vocal during the autumn breeding season. It has a slow, deep double hoot, with the female’s being higher pitched. Where does it live? The Powerful Owl lives in a range of vegetation types, from woodland to tall open wet forest and rainforest. The Powerful Owl requires large areas of forest or woodland but can occur in fragmented landscapes too. It roosts by day in dense vegetation. Powerful nest in large tree hollows (at least 50cm deep), in large eucalypts (diameter at breast height of 80-240 cm). To get this big a tree needs to be at least 150 years old! What do they eat? The owl eats medium-sized tree dwelling , particularly the , and Sugar Gliders. There may be marked regional differences in the prey taken by Powerful Owls. For example in southern NSW, Ringtail Possum make up the bulk of prey in the lowland or coastal habitat. At higher elevations, such as the tableland , the Greater Glider may constitute almost all of the food for a pair of Powerful Owls. Flying foxes are important prey in some areas; comprise about 10- 50% of the diet depending on the availability of preferred mammals. What threatens its survival? • Historical loss of suitable forest and woodland habitat from land clearing for residential and agricultural development. This loss also affects the populations of arboreal prey species, particularly the Greater Glider which reduces food availability for the Powerful Owl. • Inappropriate forest harvesting practices leading to a loss of hollow-bearing trees • Disturbance during the breeding period may affect breeding success. • Predation of fledglings by foxes, dogs and cats.

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