The Powerful Project: understanding Sydney’s nocturnal residents

Caroline Wilson1, Janelle Thomas, Holly Parsons 1 BirdLife , Suite 2-05, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton VIC 3053, [email protected]

Introduction Results

The Powerful Owl strenua occurs Ecology in in eastern and south-eastern 2012 2013 2014 Since 2011, volunteers Owl location sightings from the Australia (east of the Great Dividing 317 231 63 Range), from south-eastern collected data on the public (new locations only) to . ecology of Sydney’s Breeding sites 46 59 60 Powerful Owl population. Successful 21 31 36 Key results include: Failed 5 4 7 The Powerful Owl mostly feeds on possums, and relies on large hollow- • 60 Powerful Owl Unknown outcome 20 24 17 bearing trees for nesting. breeding sites identified Fledged chicks 28 43 52 across Sydney (with an Nest trees mapped 15 32 41 This species is threatened in all additional 25 sites on the Australian states across its range. NSW Central Coast and *doesn't include data from the 2011 (pilot) study season Powerful can survive within cities, Newcastle) though increasing urbanisation is likely • An average fledging rate of 1.22 chicks/year to impact their long-term persistence. Photo: Akos Lumnitzer • Breeding sites had greater tree cover, and more hollow-bearing Little is known about the ecology of Powerful Owls, particularly trees and prey, compared to non-breeding control sites

those living in cities. Since 2011, the Powerful Owl Project, with • Foraging habitat was widespread within leafy northern Sydney the aid of citizen scientists, has collected critical data on Sydney’s Powerful Owl population, to help inform their • The diet of Powerful Owls varied seasonally and management. • Car strikes were the main cause of Powerful Owl injuries and

mortalities

Community Engagement

Project Objectives The Powerful Owl Project is an important community 1. To provide a greater understanding of the ecology of an urban engagement tool which has: Powerful Owl population, including: breeding behaviour and success; • Incorporated 383 diet; habitat characteristics at the local and landscape scale; and volunteers (including mortality and injury rates (and causes) 2015)

2. To engage the community in the conservation of Powerful Owls and • Reached over 2500 people their habitat through education, training, and supporting them in through community talks collecting ecological data • Reached over 1,000,000 people through media channels

• Developed and communicated site specific Methods management strategies to land managers, to help conserve and improve • Powerful Owl Project Powerful Owl habitat Photos: Caroline Wilson (top), Kristen Hardy (bottom) volunteers participated in two ways:

1. providing general information on Powerful Conclusions Owl sightings (including injured and deceased owls) • This project has educated the 2. collecting ecological data at community about Powerful Owls, and allocated breeding sites driven management recommendations (trained volunteers only) for their persistence in cities

• Breeding sites were identified • Further research on urban Powerful from previous studies, Wildlife Owls (i.e. investigating their foraging Atlas records and local behaviour and movements across the knowledge urban landscape), and other nocturnal , will provide a more complete • Ecological data collected by picture of the ecology of these urban volunteers at breeding sites species (weekly observations during the breeding season) • For more information about the Powerful Owl Project contact: included: Photo: David Diehm [email protected] − breeding behaviour Map: the location of Powerful Owl breeding sites Thank-you to David Bain, − pellet collection within Greater Sydney, as well as the Central Coast Kristen Hardy, Rod • The Powerful Owl Project is co- and Newcastle, NSW (not included in analysis) Kavanagh and all our (volunteers also helped with volunteers for their help managed by BirdLife Australia’s Birds diet analysis) on the project in Backyards program and the − habitat characteristics Threatened Network

Background photo: Andrew Silcocks