Lesser Sooty Owl

1. Dark grey plumage with heavy white spotting across the body

2. Heart-shaped, bicoloured facial disc with a light horn-coloured bill and dark shading around the eyes

3. High-pitched, “falling-bomb whistle” and rapid trilling calls, which can carry through dense forest

Lesser Sooty Owls are generalist predators, feeding on a range of arboreal and terrestrial mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects, adapting their diet to available prey. They hunt mainly from low perches, taking prey on the ground or in the trees. Breeding is irregular and can occur any time of year, with peaks typically from March to May, depending on rainfall and prey abundance. They nest in deep hollows of large, living trees, often high above the ground, and typically lay 1–2 eggs, spaced about four days apart. The female incubates for 5–6 weeks, and young fledge after 2–3 months, remaining dependent on parents for up to 6–10 months before dispersing 10–20 km from the nest.

Lesser Sooty Owls are restricted to the wet tropics of northeastern Queensland, from Princess Charlotte Bay south to around Ingham, including some offshore islands like Hinchinbrook. They inhabit old-growth rainforest and wet eucalypt forest with tall, hollow-bearing trees, often near riparian zones and rainforest gullies. These owls are highly territorial, occupying areas of 50–800 hectares, and are most often detected by their loud, high-pitched calls after sunset, especially on calm, dry night.