There are twenty four diurnal raptor and ten owl species native to Australia. Whilst owls are not taxonomically classed with the diurnal raptors, or birds of prey, they share many of the physiological characteristics, requirements and traits of diurnal raptors. They have hooked bills, are carnivorous and, most significantly, use their powerful feet to catch and kill their prey. They fill an equivalent niche in the environment, and for all practical intents and purposes may be considered "raptorial" by nature.
Click on the species name (where a link is present) for more information.
Eagles and Hawks
Falcons
Owls
ORDER FALCONIFORMES
Family Accipitridae
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Family Falconidae
NOTE: "Chicken Hawk" is a name variously applied to a great many diurnal raptors, if not all of them at some stage or another, but most commonly to the Brown Goshawk and the Collared Sparrowhawk. It is by no means an official name and its vernacular meaning is usually, "otherwise unidentified bird of prey."
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ORDER STRIGIFORMES
Family Tytonidae
Family Strigidae
NOTE: The Tawny Frogmouth is frequently mistaken for an owl. It is not an owl, but a member of the nightjar family.
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Bibliography
- Cupper, Lindsay and Jack - Hawks in Focus
- Olsen, Penny - Australian Birds of Prey
- Fleay, David - Nightwatchmen of Bush and Plain
- Hollands, David - Eagles, Hawks and Falcons of Australia
- Hollands, David - Birds of the Night: Owls, Frogmouths and Nightjars of Australia
- König, Claus, Weick, Friedhelm and Becking, Jan-Hendrick - Owls: a Guide to Owls of the World
- Reader's Digest - The Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds
- Slater, Peter, Pat and Raoul - The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds
Contributors
- Philip Pain (Resource information, birds)
- Marra Apgar (Resource information, birds, photography and text)
- Brian Mawby-Brown and Nancy Tang (Resource information, birds, photography, photocomposites and text)
- Caleb Delamare (text)
- Yvonne Sitko (Photography, birds)
- Carl Danzi (Photography)
- Dianne Hunter (Photography)
- Luke Jenkins (Photography)
- Noelene Jenkins (Photographic archive, birds)
- Stuart and Amanda Payne (Birds)
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