Parliament is sitting – and chirping.
A gathering of barn owls, known as a ‘parliament’, has taken up residence in a box tree next to the Smith house and are quietly chirping to each other at night.
“There are eight of them in all,” said Bernie.
It looks like a mating couple and family.
“They sit up in the tree, unflappable, completely unperturbed by activity on the ground, including having a spotlight or camera flash on them,” added Bernie.
Evidently, owls are generally solitary birds, but when together a group is called called a “parliament”, apparently because they look ‘wise’.
The owls are welcome visitors to the Smith family property. They have set up camp next to a chook yard, usually a good hunting ground for mice.
The owls have been enjoying the mouse plague, Bernie said.
Online research reveals that nests in tree hollows close to chookyards are generally favoured by owls.
Barn owls are everywhere – they are the most widespread land bird on Earth – but it’s not every day, or night, we see a multi-bird ‘parliament’ of owls in one place.
Famous for its ‘ghostly beauty’ and silent flight, the Australian barn owl hunts small mammals up to the size of rats.
It waits on a roost for an unwary animal to pass underneath, then dives to strike.
Barn owls also fly over open areas at low altitude, without making a sound, to snatch mice from the grass.
Unfortunately, many barn owls die in Australia every year due to secondary poisoning as a direct result of human pest control methods.
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