13 |
![]() |
Rufous OwlAlternate name(s): "Rufous Boobook" Size: 45-55 cm Weight: 0.7-1.7 kg |
![]() |
Similar |
![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
See Rufous
Owl at Wikipedia |
||||||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Photos |
Race "rufa"
![]() |
ADULT |
![]() |
MALE |
Frontal view of a Rufous Owl; this bird is taller than the
partner it was seen with
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, December 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a male Rufous Owl
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, December 2018]
![]() |
FEMALE |
Frontal view of a Rufous Owl with its prey, a possum; this bird
is smaller than the partner it was seen with
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, December 2018]
![]() |
PAIR |
Frontal view of a pair of Rufous Owls taking an interest
in the photographer - the female, on the left, is slightly
smaller than the male; these are the birds whose
calls
were recorded on 15 April 2020
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, April 2020]
Below a sound recording of the alarms of other bird species caused by the pair of Rufous Owls shown above.
alarm_pb_20200411.m4a | (Darwin, NT) |
Alarm calls (various species) |
© PB |
Frontal/ventral view of a pair of Rufous Owls
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Garden, Darwin, NT, May 2018]
Near-frontal view of a pair of Rufous Owls, male on the left
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, April 2021]
Dorsal/ventral view of a pair of Rufous Owls
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Garden, Darwin, NT, May 2018]
Dorsal/ventral view of a pair of Rufous Owls; note how they look grey,
rather than rufous, when deep in shade
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Garden, Darwin, NT, May 2018]
Sex unknown |
Full-frontal view of a Rufous Owl; this is the bird whose
calls were
recorded on 5 Sep. 2022
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, September 2022]
Frontal view of a Rufous Owl
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2020]
Close-up near-frontal view of a Rufous Owl looking at the observer
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, June 2023]
Near-frontal view of a Rufous Owl
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Garden, Darwin, NT, July 2018]
Near-lateral view of a Rufous Owl
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, November 2020]
Near-lateral/ventral view of a Rufous Owl
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, April 2020]
Close-up near-dorsal view of a Rufous Owl looking at the observer
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, June 2023]
Near-dorsal view of a Rufous Owl
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, July 2020]
Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Rufous Owl - note the strong legs
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Fannie Bay, Darwin, NT, July 2021]
![]() |
IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal/ventral view of a juvenile Rufous Owl
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, November 2020]
Frontal view of a juvenile Rufous Owl
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, October 2020]
Adult Rufous Owl with a juvenile (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Botanical Garden, Darwin, NT, October 2018]
Frontal view of a juvenile Rufous Owl (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Botanical Garden, Darwin, NT, October 2018]
Frontal/ventral view of a juvenile Rufous Owl
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2020]
Frontal/ventral view of a juvenile Rufous Owl
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2020]
Near-lateral/ventral view of one of two juvenile Rufous Owls
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2021]
Lateral view of a juvenile Rufous Owl (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Botanical Garden, Darwin, NT, October 2018]
Dorsal view of a juvenile Rufous Owl (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Garden, Darwin, NT, November 2018]
Dorsal/ventral view of a juvenile Rufous Owl
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2020]
![]() |
Breeding information |
Breeding season: Jun - Aug | Eggs: 1 - 2 | Incubation period: 36 - 38 days | Fledging age: 35 - 42 days |
The breeding season listed above is for the northern tropics. Further south, in eastern QLD, the breeding season is from August to December.
Nest building: Male | Incubation: Female | Dependent care: Female & male |
![]() |
Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Tree hollow | Material: No lining | Height above ground: 3.5 - ? m |
Three-pronged major fork with a hollow in the main trunk
that was explored by a pair of Rufous Owls for its suitability
for nesting; at about 2 m above ground, this hollow is
unusually low, but there may have been a lack of suitable
trees after tropical storms and bushfires wrought havoc
in the area
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, May 2020]
Overview of the surroundings of the same tree as shown above
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, May 2020]
Wider overview of the tree itself
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, May 2020]
![]() |
Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 53 x 45 mm | Colour: White | Shape: Tapered oval |
![]() |
Food, Diet |
Frontal view of a female Rufous Owl with its prey, a flying
fox (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, April 2020]
Frontal/ventral view of a Rufous Owl with its prey, a
Tawny Frogmouth
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, January 2021]
Close-up near-frontal view of a Rufous Owl with its prey, a flying fox
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, June 2023]
Near-lateral view of a female Rufous Owl with its prey, a flying
fox (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, April 2020]
Lateral view of a female Rufous Owl with its prey, a possum
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Rapid Creek, Darwin, NT, December 2018]
Scats and an abandoned Rufous Owl meal of flying fox below a roost
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Sewage Treatment Plant, Katherine, NT, July 2020]
![]() |
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.
rufowl_pb_20210716.m4a |
rufa (Darwin, NT) |
Contact call | © PB | |
rufowl_pb_20220905.mp3 |
rufa (Darwin, NT) |
Contact calls | © PB | |
rufowl_pb_20210716_2.m4a |
rufa (Darwin, NT) |
Territorial call | © PB | |
rufowl_pb_20220905_2.mp3 |
rufa (Darwin, NT) |
Territorial calls | © PB | |
rufowl_pb_20220905_3.mp3 |
rufa (Darwin, NT) |
Territorial calls | © PB | |
rufowl_pb_20200415.m4a |
rufa (Darwin, NT) |
Territorial calls | © PB | |
rufowl_pb_20200415_2.m4a |
rufa (Darwin, NT) |
Territorial calls | © PB | |
rufowl_pb_20200415_3.m4a |
rufa (Darwin, NT) |
Territorial calls + bkgd | © PB | |
rufowl_pb_20221029_2.mp3 |
rufa (Darwin, NT) |
Territorial calls + juvenile begging + bkgd | © PB | |
rufowl_pb_20221029.mp3 |
rufa (Darwin, NT) |
Begging calls (juvenile) | © PB |
More Rufous Owl sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.