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Barking Owl (Ninox connivens)

The Barking Owl is a medium-sized Australian owl of open woodland, open forest, riparian vegetation and partly cleared farmland. It is vulnerable in New South Wales and is not listed under the EPBC Act in the supplied sources. On development sites, mature hollow-bearing trees, dense daytime roosts, riparian vegetation and large surrounding foraging areas need protection.

Conservation status

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Vulnerable.

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Critically endangered.

Breeding season

Timing varies between pairs and years, but breeding generally occurs from mid-winter through spring. The table uses the documented pattern of laying around August, fledging around November and several months of post-fledging dependence.

The seasonal pattern is a general guide. Barking Owls may vary breeding timing between pairs and years, and may not breed every year.

  • Breeding and laying: Breeding occurs during mid-winter and spring. Laying commonly occurs in August, although timing varies between pairs and years.
  • Incubation and nestlings: The female incubates for about 5 weeks. Nestlings remain in the hollow for about 36 days in the Queensland study, with the young commonly fledging in November.
  • Fledglings and dependent young: Young remain dependent on their parents for several months. Newly fledged owls may roost in low dense vegetation near the nest before moving farther from the nest area.
  • Territorial and nocturnal activity: Adults are resident and defend very large permanent territories in most habitats. Calling and hunting commonly increase from late afternoon and dusk into the night.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and disturbance are most likely to harm the species from laying through fledging and early post-fledging dependence, approximately August to November, with risk extending into December where young remain dependent.

Identification

The Barking Owl is a medium-sized owl without a facial disc. It is most readily detected by its dog-like territorial call, but call identification should be supported by visual evidence or other reliable observations.

Adults have brown to greyish-brown upperparts, a white breast with vertical brown streaking, bright yellow eyes and large yellow talons.

The species has no facial disc. It is smaller than the Powerful Owl and larger than the Southern Boobook.

Length: About 42 cm.

Weight: About 650 g overall; males are typically about 700 g and females about 600 g.

Eyes: Bright yellow.

Sex differences: Males are typically larger and have a squarer crown than females.

Identification: Calls and similar species

The diagnostic territorial call is a quick, dog-like, disyllabic 'wook-wook' or bark. Pairs commonly answer one another in duets, with the male giving the deeper note.

The species can also give growls, hoots, begging trills and a high-pitched tremulous scream. Foxes, dogs and Sugar Gliders can produce sounds that are mistaken for barking owls, so an isolated call should be treated cautiously.

The absence of a facial disc helps separate the Barking Owl from the Masked Owl and other Tyto owls. Its larger size separates it from the Southern Boobook, while its smaller size and different facial pattern separate it from the Powerful Owl.

Identification: Field signs and nest evidence

Useful field evidence includes repeated territorial calls, owl pellets, prey remains, feathers, whitewash and an adult or juvenile roosting in a shaded tree canopy.

Nest evidence is a large tree hollow, usually in a living eucalypt but sometimes in a dead tree. The documented nest hollows were in large trees beside riparian vegetation, including a hollow about 25 m above ground with an opening about 15 cm wide.

During breeding, the male may perch near and overlook the hollow entrance. Newly fledged young give persistent begging trills and may roost low in dense creekside vegetation.

  • Record the direction, timing and duration of repeated calls, rather than relying on a single suspected bark.
  • Inspect mature trees for hollows, whitewash and pellets from the ground where safe, without approaching or shining lights into an active hollow.
  • Do not use call playback unnecessarily, particularly during the nesting season.

Distribution: National range

The Barking Owl occurs across much of continental Australia but is absent from the central arid regions. It remains more common in parts of northern Australia and has declined substantially in southern Australia.

The species occurs in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, and is also recorded in the Australian Capital Territory and Jervis Bay Territory. The supplied New South Wales distribution information includes the Australian Alps, Brigalow Belt South, Broken Hill Complex, Channel Country, Cobar Peneplain, Darling Riverine Plains, Mulga Lands, Murray Darling Depression, Nandewar, New England Tablelands, NSW North Coast, NSW South Western Slopes, Riverina, South East Corner, South Eastern Highlands, South Eastern Queensland and the Sydney Basin.

It is recorded from both coastal and inland regions, but occurrence is sparse in many parts of southern Australia.

Distribution: Strongholds and subpopulations

The Pilliga Forest supported the largest known population in southern Australia during surveys undertaken in 2001.

In New South Wales, core populations occur on the western slopes and plains and in some north-eastern coastal and escarpment forests. Riparian strips can retain birds in otherwise heavily cleared country.

Distribution: Trend and status

Populations have declined greatly in southern Australia following the clearing of woodland on fertile soils. The remaining distribution in New South Wales is wide but sparse.

The supplied sources identify the species as Vulnerable in New South Wales and not listed under the EPBC Act. The supplied project information also identifies a Victorian listing, but the cited source table records the Victorian status as threatened.

Population size: No national population estimate is provided in the supplied documents.

Trend: Great decline in southern Australia; current New South Wales distribution is wide but sparse.

Largest southern population noted: Pilliga Forest, based on 2001 surveys.

New South Wales status: Vulnerable.

Commonwealth status: Not listed.

Habitat: Habitat types

Barking Owls use open woodland and open forest, including fragmented remnants, riparian strips and partly cleared farmland. They need mature trees, prey-rich vegetation and enough connected or nearby habitat to support a very large territory.

Recorded habitats include open dry eucalypt woodland, open forest, riparian scrub, Casuarina thickets, Melaleuca woodland, timbered watercourses and fragmented woodland remnants.

The species can hunt into denser forest and more open areas. In heavily cleared western New South Wales, timbered watercourses can provide breeding habitat because fertile riparian soils support higher prey densities.

The New South Wales distribution includes inland plains, western slopes, coastal forests, escarpments and temperate south-eastern forests. The supplied documents do not provide a specific elevation limit.

Habitat: Structural features

Important features include old living or dead trees with large hollows, mature eucalypts, tall midstorey trees with dense foliage, standing dead trees, fallen logs and a developed shrub layer.

Riparian vegetation and wetland margins can be particularly important because they support arboreal mammals, birds and invertebrates used as prey.

A pair may require about 2,000 hectares in typical New South Wales habitat and up to 6,000 hectares where prey is sparse. A small remnant should therefore be assessed in relation to surrounding woodland, farmland, drainage lines and other habitat.

  • Retain mature hollow-bearing trees, standing dead trees and large fallen logs within and beside the work area.
  • Retain continuous or stepping-stone vegetation along watercourses and around woodland remnants.
  • Assess the full potential territory and nearby prey habitat before clearing isolated trees or narrow riparian strips.

Foraging habitat: Diet

Barking Owls usually hunt from tall perches during the late afternoon, at dusk and through the night. They are opportunistic predators, but breeding birds can depend heavily on arboreal mammals associated with mature woodland and tree hollows.

Recorded prey includes Sugar Gliders, Squirrel Gliders, Feathertail Gliders, bats, flying-foxes, birds, rodents, rabbits, fish and a wide range of arthropods. Birds taken include parrots, Tawny Frogmouths, rails, honeyeaters, magpies and crows.

In a south-eastern Queensland breeding study, mammals made up 25 percent of prey items by number but 74 percent of prey biomass. Birds made up 10 percent by number and 24 percent by biomass, while arthropods made up 65 percent by number but only 1 percent by biomass.

Sugar Gliders and Squirrel Gliders contributed 71 percent of prey biomass in that study. Squirrel Gliders and other arboreal mammals therefore indicate habitat that may support breeding Barking Owls.

Breeding diet by number: 25 percent mammals, 10 percent birds and 65 percent arthropods in the cited south-eastern Queensland study.

Breeding diet by biomass: 74 percent mammals, 24 percent birds and 1 percent arthropods in the cited study.

Key prey group: Arboreal mammals, especially Sugar Gliders and Squirrel Gliders.

Foraging habitat: Hunting areas and method

The owl typically sallies from a tall perch to take prey. It can catch bats and moths in flight, take birds at dusk or while they are roosting, and forage over open woodland, forest edges, riparian vegetation, farmland and urban trees.

Pairs hunt over very large permanent territories. About 2,000 hectares is typical in New South Wales, although territories of up to 6,000 hectares have been recorded.

Loss of tree hollows can reduce arboreal mammal prey and shift the diet towards birds, invertebrates and terrestrial mammals.

  • Retain tall hunting perches, mature woodland, dense midstorey vegetation and riparian habitat around clearing areas.
  • Avoid removing hollow-bearing trees and fallen timber that support gliders and other prey.
  • Treat artificial lighting, night works and construction noise as potential changes to nocturnal foraging conditions, particularly near known roosts or nests.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Barking Owls breed in large tree hollows, usually in mature living eucalypts, and may reuse a nest site over several years. Breeding is most often associated with mature woodland and riparian vegetation that supports high prey densities.

Pairs are monogamous. Two or three eggs are laid in a vertical or steeply sloping hollow in a large tree. The female incubates while the male roosts nearby and supplies food.

The young remain in the hollow for about 5 weeks in the New South Wales profile and about 36 days in the south-eastern Queensland field study. Fledging is asynchronous, and young remain dependent on adults for several months.

The species may produce one brood in a season but may not breed every year.

Breeding season: Mid-winter to spring; laying commonly occurs in August and fledging commonly occurs in November.

Clutch size: Two or three eggs.

Incubation: About 5 weeks; a Queensland source gives 38 days.

Nestling period: About 36 days in a south-eastern Queensland field study.

Fledging: Commonly around November; one Queensland source gives 49 days for fledging.

Age at maturity: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Lifespan: Not stated in the supplied documents.

Breeding habitat: Breeding-site requirements

Documented nests were in large old trees beside riparian habitat. One nest tree was a 35 m Forest Red Gum with a hollow about 25 m above ground and an opening about 15 cm wide. A second nest tree was a live Red Gum about 40 m tall and 4 m in circumference at the base.

Living eucalypts are preferred, although dead trees can also be used. Pairs may switch hollows if disturbed by predators or other disturbance.

The New South Wales profile recommends a buffer of undisturbed native vegetation with a radius of at least 200 m around known nest sites.

  • Do not fell, burn, prune or destabilise a known or potential nest tree during the breeding season.
  • Establish and maintain an undisturbed buffer around a confirmed nest, with at least a 200 m radius where the New South Wales guidance applies.
  • Retain nearby riparian vegetation, shrub cover and mature woodland that provide food and cover for adults and fledglings.

Sheltering habitat: Day roosts

By day, Barking Owls shelter in shaded tree canopies, often close to watercourses or in dense vegetation. Nest hollows also provide shelter for incubating females and young.

Adults roost in shaded portions of tree canopies, including tall midstorey trees with dense foliage such as Acacia and Casuarina. Field observations recorded roosts in eucalypts, Bloodwoods, Swamp Turpentine and creekside trees.

Roost height varies. In the Queensland study, adults used roosts from about 5 to 30 m above ground, while newly fledged young sometimes roosted as low as 3 to 5 m in dense creekside vegetation.

Roosting birds may be difficult to locate because they flush from dense vegetation or remain concealed until disturbed.

Recorded adult roost height: About 5 to 30 m above ground in the Queensland study.

Recorded fledgling roost height: As low as 3 m, although usually 8 to 30 m in the Queensland study.

  • Search dense foliage around watercourses and mature trees for whitewash, pellets, feathers and prey remains.
  • Protect known day roosts from vegetation removal, machinery movement, night lighting and repeated human approach.
  • Retain low dense vegetation near nest trees because newly fledged young may use it during the first weeks after leaving the hollow.

Sheltering habitat: Hollows and refuge trees

Large old trees provide both nest hollows for the owls and refuge hollows for their prey. Standing dead trees and large fallen logs also support prey habitat.

The documented nest hollows were in large limbs or trunk spouts. One hollow opening was about 15 cm wide and was approximately 25 m above ground.

No burrow, den or ground shelter is used by the owl itself in the supplied documents.

  • Retain all hollow-bearing trees, including dead trees, even where no active nest is confirmed.
  • Protect the tree base, root zone and surrounding vegetation from fire, compaction, soil disturbance and changes to drainage.
  • Do not block or fill a hollow during clearing or construction.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main documented risks are loss of mature woodland, removal of hollow-bearing trees, reduced prey availability, fire and disturbance around nests and roosts. These risks are particularly important in southern Australia, where populations have declined substantially.

Clearing for cultivation, intense grazing and exotic pastures removes woodland, riparian strips, nest trees, roosts and prey habitat.

Fragmentation can leave pairs dependent on narrow linear strips of trees. Removing a small number of mature trees may therefore affect nesting, roosting, hunting perches and glider prey at the same time.

Inappropriate forestry can remove old hollow-bearing trees and change open forest into dense regrowth that is less suitable for the species.

  • Avoid clearing mature woodland, riparian strips and old hollow-bearing trees.
  • Map the proposed works against the likely territory, not only the immediate nest tree.
  • Retain habitat links between woodland remnants and watercourses.

Threats: Fire and timber removal

Too-frequent fire can degrade understorey vegetation used by prey. Severe fires can burn old hollow-bearing trees and reduce habitat quality.

The 2019 to 2020 fires reduced habitat quality and burnt many old hollow-bearing trees used as refuge by prey species.

Firewood collection removes fallen logs and large dead trees that support prey and may also remove nest trees.

  • Use a mosaic approach to hazard reduction so the same habitat is not burnt too frequently.
  • Retain standing dead trees and large fallen logs.
  • Keep flammable material away from the bases of nest trees and other old hollow-bearing trees where this can be done without damaging roots or habitat.

Threats: Disturbance, predators and poisoning

Disturbance during nesting can reduce foraging time and may cause the female to leave eggs on cold nights. Unnecessary call playback can disturb territorial pairs, including from distances where people may not hear the response.

Nestlings can be preyed on by goannas and Brush-tailed Possums. Foxes may compete for prey, and high rodenticide use can expose large forest owls to secondary poisoning.

The supplied documents do not identify roads or traffic as a specific Barking Owl threat. Road design, night lighting, vehicle movement and night works should nevertheless be assessed where they occur near nests, roosts, riparian habitat or regular hunting areas.

  • Do not use call playback near a suspected territory unless it is necessary, authorised and designed to avoid the nesting period.
  • Keep observers, machinery and night lighting away from active nest trees and known roosts.
  • Avoid rodenticide use near occupied woodland, riparian habitat and known owl territories, and use non-chemical controls where practicable.
  • Check for goannas and other nest predators when investigating failed breeding attempts.

Threats: Hydrology and prey habitat

Barking Owls are often associated with timbered watercourses and wetland margins. These areas can provide arboreal mammals, aquatic birds and other prey.

The supplied documents do not quantify the effects of altered flow, drainage or groundwater on Barking Owls. Changes that remove riparian trees, dry wetland margins or reduce prey habitat should be treated as potential indirect impacts.

  • Retain native vegetation along watercourses and around wetland margins.
  • Prevent avoidable changes to drainage, sediment movement and water availability near known nest and roost sites.
  • Assess whether works could reduce glider, bird or invertebrate prey before removing riparian habitat.

Survey methodology: 1. Habitat assessment and daytime searches

Survey Barking Owls in woodland, open forest, riparian vegetation and large tree remnants. Focus effort on mature trees with hollows, watercourses and areas supporting arboreal mammals, birds and large insect prey.

Map woodland and open forest remnants, timbered watercourses, dense roost vegetation and large old trees before selecting night survey locations.

Record live and dead hollow-bearing trees, large fallen logs, dense midstorey vegetation and nearby dams, creeks or wetlands.

Inspect likely roost trees and the ground beneath them for feathers, pellets, whitewash and prey remains, while avoiding disturbance to occupied nest hollows.

Treat habitat as potentially occupied even when no owl, pellet or call is detected, because pairs can use very large territories and may roost away from the nest tree.

Typical territory in NSW habitat: About 2,000 hectares

Maximum territory reported: Up to 6,000 hectares

Typical roost height: About 5 to 20 metres

Survey methodology: 2. Nocturnal call and listening surveys

Conduct surveys from dusk through the first hours of darkness, when Barking Owls commonly call and begin foraging.

Listen for the diagnostic dog-like, disyllabic barking call, often described as a ‘wook-wook’, as well as hoots, growls and the high-pitched scream.

Use several listening points that cover retained woodland, riparian strips and adjoining open areas, rather than relying on one point within the work footprint.

Do not broadcast calls during the nesting season unless the survey design requires it and the method has been authorised, because call playback can reduce foraging time and can pull a female from eggs even on cold nights.

If playback is approved, keep it to the minimum needed for the survey, document the duration and volume, and do not use it close to a known or suspected nest.

Reported response distance to recorded calls: Up to 6 kilometres

Distance at which people commonly hear the response: About 1.5 kilometres

Preferred survey period: Dusk and early night, with additional listening later in the night where required

Survey methodology: 3. Spotlighting and transect searches

Spotlight from quiet vehicle routes or walking transects through retained woodland, riparian vegetation and open forest edges during suitable night conditions.

Search tall perches, shaded tree canopies, creek lines, nest trees and open areas where an owl may sally after prey.

Record the start and finish time, route, weather, moon or cloud conditions, observer numbers, spotlight type, distance surveyed and all owl detections.

Repeat surveys on separate nights where habitat is suitable but the first survey produces no detection, because the species has large territories and sparse populations in southern Australia.

Avoid spotlighting close to a nest or repeatedly illuminating a roosting family, particularly during incubation, the nestling period and early fledging.

Reported Barking Owl hunting method: Sallying from a tall perch, with occasional capture of bats and moths on the wing

Habitat to cover: Woodland, open forest, fragmented remnants, timbered watercourses and adjoining open areas

Survey methodology: 4. Breeding and nest-site checks

Schedule nest-site checks before works and again immediately before clearing where large hollow-bearing trees will be affected.

Treat a large, old tree hollow as a possible nest site even when the hollow is not occupied during the inspection.

The main breeding period is winter to spring, with laying commonly around August and fledging commonly around November; other government information gives July to November as the laying period.

Do not climb, enter or shine equipment into a suspected nest hollow unless the work is undertaken by an appropriately authorised person under an approved method.

Allow for young to remain dependent after fledging, because field observations recorded fledglings still dependent at least 27 days after fledging and other observations reported partial dependence at about 5 months.

Clutch size: Two or three eggs

Incubation: About 5 weeks in the NSW profile, and 38 days in Queensland government information

Nestling period recorded in the field: About 36 days

Common fledging period: Around November

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use a qualified ecologist to set the survey design around the size and habitat of the project area, because the supplied documents do not provide a project survey guideline with a fixed number of nights, hours, transects or trap nights for Barking Owls.
  • Do not use cage trapping, mist-netting or other capture methods for this owl as a routine detection method, because the supplied documents support visual, acoustic and habitat-based searches rather than trapping effort.
  • Record every detection, call, roost, nest, hollow-bearing tree and evidence item with coordinates, date, time, observer, method, weather, behaviour and photographs where this can be done without disturbance.
  • Submit confirmed records to the relevant state wildlife database and provide required records and reports to the project approval authority.
  • Check current state and Commonwealth species listings, survey requirements and reporting portals before fieldwork, because the supplied documents show different state status information for some jurisdictions and the Commonwealth status is not listed in the NSW profile.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise habitat loss

Plan the project around the species’ dependence on mature trees, hollows, riparian vegetation and prey-rich woodland. Avoid removing occupied or potentially suitable breeding trees wherever practicable.

  • Redesign the footprint to retain mature live and dead trees with hollows, especially trees in or beside riparian strips and trees that are among the largest in the local stand.
  • Retain woodland and open forest remnants, dense roost vegetation, timbered watercourses, standing dead trees and large fallen logs.
  • Maintain connected native vegetation between retained remnants, watercourses and adjacent foraging areas so pairs can continue to move through their large territory.
  • Avoid clearing fertile riparian strips where possible, because the species can breed along timbered watercourses and these areas can support higher prey densities.
  • Retain habitat for gliders, possums, birds and invertebrates, because the owl’s breeding diet depends heavily on vertebrate prey and mature woodland with hollows.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and timing

  • Check the current EPBC Act and state listings before finalising the impact assessment, and refer the action under the EPBC Act if the current Commonwealth assessment indicates that referral is required.
  • Obtain all required state wildlife, vegetation clearing, planning and animal welfare approvals before disturbing a suspected nest, owl or hollow-bearing tree.
  • Program tree removal and noisy works outside the main breeding period of winter to spring, where the project and approvals allow.
  • If works must occur during the breeding period, stage the works away from suspected nest trees and obtain written ecological advice on the exclusion area, timing and monitoring controls.
  • Include Barking Owl habitat, nest trees, roosts, prey habitat, lighting and call-playback restrictions in the fauna management plan.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

Recommended buffer around a known nest site: At least 200 metres radius of undisturbed native vegetation

  • Complete a pre-clearance survey of the entire disturbance area and adjoining retained habitat using the approved acoustic, spotlighting and habitat methods.
  • Mark all retained hollow-bearing trees, suspected nest trees, riparian vegetation, dense roost trees, large fallen logs and no-go areas before machinery enters the site.
  • Install exclusion fencing around retained habitat and nest buffers where fencing will not damage roots, restrict owl movement or create a fauna trap.
  • Use the NSW profile recommendation of an undisturbed native vegetation buffer of at least 200 metres radius around a known nest site, unless a regulator or project ecologist specifies a different approved control.
  • Remove or modify artificial lighting near retained habitat, nest trees and watercourses where practicable, because the species forages at night and disturbance can reduce foraging time.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and machinery coordination

Use daily ecological controls while clearing and construction are underway. The fauna spotter catcher must have authority to stop work when a Barking Owl, nest, hollow or other retained habitat feature is at risk.

  • Hold a daily pre-start briefing that identifies the approved clearing boundary, no-go habitat, nest buffers, exclusion fencing and the spotter catcher’s stop-work authority.
  • Use a fauna spotter catcher who remains in a position to see the active clearing face and communicate directly with the machine operator.
  • Clear in stages from the disturbance edge towards retained habitat, at a speed that allows animals to leave and allows the spotter catcher to inspect each tree and ground feature.
  • Stop machinery immediately when the spotter catcher gives the stop signal, when an owl enters the work area, or when a hollow, nest, roost or injured animal is found.
  • Do not use call playback, loud night works or unnecessary lighting near a suspected nest or roost.
  • Keep workers, vehicles, dogs and machinery out of retained riparian vegetation and the 200 metre nest buffer unless the approved plan permits access.

During habitat disturbance: Hollows, trees, logs and wet areas

  • Do not fell a tree containing an occupied or suspected Barking Owl nest until the authorised ecologist and relevant regulator have approved the action and controls.
  • Inspect each large hollow-bearing tree immediately before disturbance, because Barking Owls use hollows in large old trees and may reuse a nest site over several years.
  • Retain standing dead trees and large fallen logs where safe, and relocate any unavoidable logs, rocks or other cover to nearby retained habitat under ecological supervision.
  • Protect creek lines, dams, wetland margins and dense creekside vegetation from sediment, spoil, vehicle access and unnecessary night lighting.
  • If a tree must be felled under approval, use a staged, controlled removal method directed by the ecologist, with an exclusion zone and a qualified fauna spotter catcher present.
  • Do not burn, chip or remove hollow-bearing timber, large logs or dense roost vegetation until the spotter catcher has confirmed that no fauna remain and the management plan permits the action.

During habitat disturbance: If an owl or dependent young is found

  • Stop work and isolate the immediate area if a Barking Owl, egg, chick, fledgling, nest or injured animal is found.
  • Keep people quiet and move machinery away from the animal, nest tree and likely flight path.
  • Do not handle an adult owl, egg or young unless the person is authorised, trained and acting under the project fauna management plan and applicable permits.
  • Allow a healthy adult owl to leave without pursuit where it can safely move to nearby retained habitat.
  • Relocate a flightless young owl only when directed by the authorised wildlife professional, and place it in suitable nearby retained habitat or return it to the nest where this is safe and approved.
  • Take an injured owl to an appropriately equipped veterinarian or licensed wildlife carer as soon as practicable, using an approved wildlife transport container and minimising handling.
  • Do not release an animal into isolated habitat, across a road or outside the local retained habitat without ecological advice and any required approval.

During habitat disturbance: Stop-work triggers and records

  • Stop work for any confirmed or suspected occupied nest, egg, chick, dependent fledgling, injured owl, owl trapped in machinery or damage to a marked hollow-bearing tree.
  • Stop work if exclusion fencing fails, a machine enters a no-go area, a nest buffer is breached or clearing proceeds outside the approved boundary.
  • Record the trigger, location, time, species or evidence, action taken, people involved, photographs, outcome and approval or permit reference.
  • Report all incidents, injuries, nest discoveries, relocations and unexplained owl disappearances to the project ecologist and approval authority within the timeframe in the fauna management plan.
  • Maintain daily clearance maps, pre-start records, spotter catcher logs and chain-of-custody records for any animal transferred to a carer or veterinarian.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Confirm that the approved disturbance area was cleared without removing retained habitat or leaving fauna at risk. Continue controls until the site is stable and monitoring shows that retained habitat remains usable.

  • Inspect the cleared area, retained tree bases, logs, drains, trenches, stockpiles and exclusion fencing at the end of each clearing day and before machinery leaves the site.
  • Search for injured, trapped or displaced owls and other fauna in accordance with the approved fauna management plan.
  • Recheck retained hollow-bearing trees and known nest or roost areas after vibration, fire, blasting, heavy vehicle access or other high-disturbance works.
  • Repair damaged fencing and cover or ramp trenches, pits and other fauna hazards before the next shift.
  • Confirm that no spoil, mulch, weeds, sediment or lighting has encroached into retained riparian habitat or the nest buffer.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring retained habitat

  • Monitor known or potential Barking Owl habitat during dusk and early night after major clearing or construction stages, using the approved listening, call and spotlight methods without unnecessary playback.
  • Compare detections, calls, roost use, pellets and prey remains with the pre-works baseline, and record changes in habitat condition and lighting.
  • Give extra attention to the next breeding period after works, with surveys timed around winter, spring and the common August to November breeding window.
  • Investigate a loss of calling, roost evidence or breeding activity in retained habitat before starting the next disturbance stage.
  • Continue monitoring young and adults where a nest or fledgling was recorded, because fledglings can remain dependent for weeks or months after leaving the hollow.

After habitat disturbance: Reporting and residual impacts

  • Provide the regulator and project owner with a clearance report that includes survey effort, maps, habitat retained and removed, hollow trees, nest buffers, incidents, fauna outcomes and monitoring results.
  • Submit confirmed Barking Owl records and significant incident records to the relevant state wildlife database and other required government systems.
  • Review whether residual loss of habitat, hollow trees, riparian vegetation or prey habitat requires additional approval conditions, mitigation or an offset.
  • Do not remove the 200 metre nest buffer or other habitat controls until the ecologist and approval authority confirm that the relevant condition has been met.

Rehabilitation actions: Rebuild woodland and riparian habitat

Restore mature woodland structure and the prey habitat used by Barking Owls. Rehabilitation will not quickly replace an old hollow tree, so protect retained trees and maintain habitat while replanted vegetation develops.

  • Replant locally appropriate native eucalypt woodland and open forest species, with riparian species suited to the local creek, wetland or drainage line.
  • Use plantings to reconnect retained woodland, creek lines and other native remnants, while retaining open flight and hunting areas beneath mature trees.
  • Restore a structurally varied understorey with dense foliage for daytime roosts and cover for gliders, possums, birds and invertebrate prey.
  • Control weeds and prevent exotic pasture or dense invasive regrowth from replacing the open woodland structure used for hunting.
  • Protect revegetation from heavy grazing, browsing, fire and vehicle damage until plants are established.

Rehabilitation actions: Replace lost habitat features

  • Retain all safe standing dead trees and large fallen logs, and reinstate unavoidable removed logs in nearby retained habitat.
  • Install nest boxes only where approved by the ecologist and designed for Barking Owls, because artificial boxes do not replace the thermal, structural and prey benefits of large old trees.
  • Place any nest boxes in retained woodland near suitable hunting habitat and watercourses, with a documented inspection and maintenance schedule.
  • Do not clear or excessively prune mature trees around a replacement box or known nest site.
  • Restore creekside shrubs, wetland margins and watercourse vegetation that support aquatic and terrestrial prey.

Rehabilitation actions: Fire, predators and disturbance

  • Apply a mosaic fire regime so the same area is not burned too frequently and understorey habitat for prey is retained.
  • Protect nest trees and other hollow-bearing trees from fire by managing fuel at their bases in accordance with the approved fire and ecological plan.
  • Retain logs and fallen timber where safe, because firewood removal and loss of dead timber reduce habitat for prey and hollow-dependent fauna.
  • Manage foxes, feral predators and other introduced predators in accordance with the site pest management plan, particularly near riparian habitat and fledgling areas.
  • Restrict unnecessary night lighting, loud works and call-playback near retained habitat and known nest or roost sites.

Rehabilitation actions: Rehabilitation monitoring and success measures

  • Monitor plant survival, weed cover, canopy development, understorey structure, retained hollow trees, logs, watercourse condition and fire damage at the intervals required by the approval.
  • Use dusk listening, spotlighting and daytime habitat checks to track Barking Owl presence, roost evidence, calls, nesting and use of restored habitat.
  • Treat success as retention of mature and hollow-bearing trees, functioning connected woodland and riparian habitat, stable prey habitat and continued or renewed Barking Owl use.
  • Replace failed plants, repair erosion, remove weeds and correct grazing, lighting, fire or predator problems when monitoring identifies them.
  • Report rehabilitation results, Barking Owl records and any failure to meet habitat or monitoring commitments to the approval authority and relevant state wildlife database.

Sources