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13

Lesser Sooty Owl (Tyto multipunctata) Size: ca. 33 cm (male), ca. 37 cm (female) Weight: 340-410 g (male), 500-600 g (female)

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Lesser Sooty Owls are sooty grey, with a prominent, heart-shaped facial mask. The face is light-grey, while the fringe of the facial mask is dark-grey. Both front and back are scalloped dark and light-grey, with the front being much lighter than the back. The upperwings are mostly dark-grey, with a multitude of light-grey spots. The short, sturdy legs are feathered light-grey, with faint mid-grey rings. The irises are black. The bill is light-grey, the talons are dark-grey. Lesser Sooty Owls are lighter grey overall and more obviously spotted than Greater Sooty Owls.

Taxonomy, classification See Lesser Sooty Owl at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information Most authorities have now given the Lesser Sooty Owl full species status, separate from the Greater Sooty Owl ("Tyto tenebricosa").

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Lesser Sooty Owl is available HERE . Lesser Sooty Owls are endemic to north-eastern Australia. The range the Lesser Lesser Sooty Owl is limited to the coastal fringe and the tablelands around Cairns, in tropical northern QLD, from just to the North of the Burdekin River at Townsville to about Cooktown in the North. They also occur on Magnetic Island off Townsville, QLD. Lesser Sooty Owls live in tropical rainforest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information M. Eaton spotted a Lesser Sooty Owl at Yungaburra, QLD, in August 2023. The photos by C. Pears shown below are of birds in captivity, taken at Eagles Heritage, Margaret River, WA.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of an adult Lesser Sooty Owl (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)

Frontal view of an adult Lesser Sooty Owl in captivity (photo courtesy of C. Pears)

Albinism

Lesser Sooty Owls can have albino offspring.

Lateral view of an albino Lesser Sooty Owl in captivity looking at the observer (photo courtesy of C. Pears)

Lateral view of an albino Lesser Sooty Owl in captivity (photo courtesy of C. Pears)

Dorsal view of an albino Lesser Sooty Owl in captivity (photo courtesy of C. Pears)

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

lessoot_me_20230814.mp3	(Atherton Tablelands)	Pair Q&A	© ME
lessoot_me_20230814_2.mp3	(Atherton Tablelands)	Pair Q&A	© ME

More Lesser Sooty Owl sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Tue, 22 August 2023, 8:13 +00:00