Photo: Greg Sharkey / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Powerful Owl
Ninox strenua
Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua) — Owls of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 7 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 1.3 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Ninox
- Species strenua
Where it lives
Southeastern QLD to southeastern SA (eastern, southeastern Australia)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.3 kg
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Powerful Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Powerful Owl is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU se QLD to se SA (e, se Australia).
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.3 kg, with a wing length of about 40.1 cm and a tail of around 26.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 574,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Powerful Owl?
The Powerful Owl is a very large bird that weighs around 1.3 kg.
Where does the Powerful Owl live?
The Powerful Owl is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU se QLD to se SA (e, se Australia), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Powerful Owl belong to?
The Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Powerful Owl eat?
The Powerful Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Powerful Owl migrate?
The Powerful Owl is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Powerful Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Powerful Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Powerful Owl — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Powerful Owl's range?
The Powerful Owl has a mapped global range of about 574,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.