Sooty Owl

Tyto tenebricosa

The greater sooty owl (Tyto tenebricosa) is a medium to large owl found in south-eastern Australia, Montane rainforests of New Guinea and have been seen on Flinders Island in the Bass Strait. They have a finely white spotted head with scattered white spots on the wings. The females are lighter colored than the males. The females' length is 37–43 cm and weighs 750-1200 g. The smaller male has a length of 37–43 cm and weighs 500-700 g. The wing length is 30–40 cm. The large dark eyes are set in a round large facial disk. The facial disk is dark gray-silver or sooty black (changing with age) and has a heavy black edge. The upper part of the owl is black to dark gray and the under part is lighter. The tail is short and the legs are feathered. The feet and talons are large. Their call is a piercing shriek which can last up to two seconds.

The lesser sooty owl (T. multipunctata), is sometimes considered to be conspecific with this species, in which case they are then together referred to as sooty owls. It is substantially smaller and occurs in the wet tropics region of North Queensland, Australia.