There is much myth and folklore about owls. Some are light-hearted like in the U.S.: if you hear an Owl-cry you must return the call, or else take off an item of clothing and put it on again inside-out! Boo Book Owls are found all round Australia, from forests to desert regions, but need hollows in trees to nest.
Photo by cskk
We can help these birds if we realise that, in the environment, dead trees are as valuable as living ones, and they should be left for homes for wildlife.
Find out more about this wonderful owl with a rather nice call with ecologist Sue Stevens.
Brilliant, Marianne. I love owls! I am fortunate enough to have seen several different species in the course of working in bushland ecology. The mopoke is one of my favourites. Everyone calls them “boobook” but I will forever know them as “mopoke” due to C.J Dennis’ poem, Hist. The poem’s storyline is about an eery, moonlit journey across a parkland by some children, and details all the night noises that startle and intrigue them along the way. The boobook is mentioned in the line:
Mo-Poke, who was that that spoke?
This is not a fitting spot to make a silly joke!
I hadn’t thought of that poem in years – thanks for conjuring it up!