Bookbook on campus

The Southern bookbook owl (also known as the Mopoke owl) is reasonably common around Perth and you are most likely to hear and see them in spring.

One sure indication that an owl is around can be the commotion made by other birds in the vicinity, registering their protests at the perceived intruder.

A few years ago I was walking around Karrinyup when I heard vigorous squawking coming from a gang of Wattlebirds in a tree. I looked up and there were three baby Bookbook owls sitting quietly in a row on a branch of a gum tree, trying to ignore the Wattlebirds. They were being "creched" there by the parent owls. When baby owls have fledged, but not yet able to feed themselves, the adult owls leave them in a "creche" during the day, while they go off to find food. This group of three were in the creche when they were discovered by the Wattlebirds.

This Bookbook owl below was photographed a few years ago on Mount Lawley Campus of Edith Cowan University.