A medium-sized, rather slim owl with long slender legs that are sparsely feathered. The heart-shaped facial disc is white in the male and pale orange buff with dark speckles in the female. It is outlined by a narrow pale ruff with dark edging at the bottom. The eyes are relatively small (for an owl) and have buff and black 'tear' marks below them. The upper parts of the owl are chocolate and buff while the underparts are pale, flushed orange-buff and highly spotted. The wings are rather long and broad, barred dark brown and buff with silvery spots. The underwing is white with fine dark spotting and darkish wing tips. The undertail is white with several narrow dark grey bars. Has a slow flapping and gliding flight with the legs trailing behind or dangling low to catch prey with the feet.
There are two distinct populations of the Grass Owl. One is found on the flood plains of large rivers from Cape York to Manning River New South Wales. The other is found on grasslands of the Barkly Tableland and Channel country of Western Australia. This species undergoes irruptions (abrupt increases in numbers) when prey is plentiful (mainly the Long-haired Rat, Rattus villosissimus). When the rat populations decline, starving owls disperse widely to suitable habitats.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Australian Raptor Care and Conservation Inc acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. We recognise and appreciate the traditional significance and cultural roles birds of prey play in the lives of our First Nations people.
