Greater Sooty Owl

1. Dark sooty-gray plumage with fine silvery-white spots across the body and wings

2. Heart-shaped facial disc, paler than the rest of the body and edged with black

3. Listen for the unmistakable high-pitched, descending "falling-bomb" whistle, as well as piercing shrieks, rasps, and insect-like trills

Sooty Owls are powerful hunters, feeding mainly on arboreal mammals such as greater gliders, ringtail possums, and sugar gliders, as well as bandicoots, rodents, and occasionally birds, bats, and insects. They typically hunt using a "perch and search" method, remaining motionless before striking. Sooty Owls are monogamous and territorial, forming lifelong pairs. Breeding usually occurs from January to June, but may vary with location and conditions. Nests are placed in large tree hollows or occasionally caves, with females laying 1–2 eggs and incubating for about 42 days while the male provides food. The young fledge after about three months and remain dependent on their parents for an extended period.

Sooty Owls inhabit eastern Australia in a "leapfrog" distribution: the Greater Sooty Owl is found from southeastern Queensland to Victoria, while the Lesser Sooty Owl is restricted to the wet tropics of northeastern Queensland. They prefer deep, wet eucalypt gully forests and rainforests with old, hollow-bearing trees and dense understorey, often near streams or gullies. During the day, they roost in dense vegetation, tree hollows, or caves, making them extremely difficult to spot`.`