20 Mar 2015
The Powerful Owls in Centennial Park have celebrated their first anniversary of moving to their current home – and have now been joined by a third Owl!
In March 2014 there was much excitement and anticipation with the arrival of a Powerful Owl - and when it was joined shortly after by a second owl, it was hoped that this was a pre-cursor to mating and a new 'Owl family'.
Indeed mating was observed, but alas there has yet to be the 'sound of tiny chirps'.
Birdlife Australia, in partnership with volunteer birdwatchers and Centennial Parklands staff, have kept regular observations of the pair throughout the year.
“The pair of Powerful owls are regularly observed roosting in Centennial Park. They are alternating between Lachlan Swamp, some large fig trees and Kauri pines near the Park Depot. Parklands staff and volunteers recorded almost daily observations of the owls during the 2014 breeding season, however, there may be a lack of suitable tree hollows in the park for nesting to occur,” said Amara Glynn, Environment Officer at Centennial Parklands.
“While we remain hopeful that breeding may eventually occur, we were equally excited when reports came in of a third Powerful Owl being spotted in the Parklands.”
The presence of these owls, and indeed the reports of a third owl, are an encouraging sign for the natural ecology of the Parklands, and our volunteers and staff will be undertaking further observational studies from May to October to track movement, mating and feeding habits of these fascinating native birds.
“The only concern raised so far is the birds lack of reading skills, as evidenced by this photo (see above) taken by a Parklands Ranger on the weekend,” laughed Ms Glynn.
Photo opportunities are available, and a copy of the Birdlife Australia Powerful Owl Project is available here.
About Centennial Parklands
- Centennial Parklands (www.centennialparklands.com.au) is one of Australia's most popularly visited destinations.
- Centennial Parklands is the birthplace of modern Australia – as Centennial Park was the site of the inauguration of Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901.
- An estimated 20 million visits were made to the Parklands in the last 12 months.
- Over 360 hectares, and less than 10 minutes from the Sydney CBD, the Parklands incorporates Centennial Park, Moore Park and Queens Park.
- The Parklands is a major sporting facility for the community with over 560,000 registered sports participants using the Parklands every year.
- The Parklands includes Moore Park Golf (www.mooreparkgolf.com.au) and the Centennial Parklands Equestrian Centre (www.cpequestrian.com.au).
- Centennial Parklands a self-funded public parklands.
At its peak, Centennial Parklands provides up to 2,000 jobs across its businesses and precincts.
Further information about Centennial Parklands:
