Audio reveals powerful owl chicks on private conservation area

With skills to monitor native species on their conservation area, the couple recorded evidence of a breeding pair of powerful owls and the high-pitched trill of chicks confirmed a happy addition for the vulnerable species.

The recordings were collected by the McCoubries, both participants in the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) Land Libraries program helping landholders monitor wildlife using acoustic recorders and wildlife cameras.

Although Andy and Nette suspected powerful owls were present in the property's old-growth swamp forest, they had never been able to confirm it.

"We were hopeful for some time that we could have powerful owls, but we'd never seen them," Nette said.

Latest technology aids species discovery

The breakthrough came when recordings collected in 2024 were re-analysed by BCT senior ecologist James Lidsey using the latest audio recognition software.

"It wasn't the classic deep 'woo-hoo' call we often hear from adult powerful owls," James said.

"Instead, it was a high-pitched trill that stood out in the data."

After consulting Saving our Species powerful owl expert Beth Mott, James received confirmation the calls belonged to 2 powerful owl chicks.

The discovery suggests a breeding hollow is present on the property, a critical habitat feature for Australia's largest owl species. Powerful owls rely on large tree hollows for nesting, which can take hundreds of years to develop.

"We were both so overjoyed to learn the chicks were recorded," Nette said.

"When you put something on your hopeful list of species, you don't actually expect to always find them, so this was great to discover."

For Andy and Nette, the result reinforced their decision to permanently protect the property through a BCT conservation agreement.

"When we purchased the land, the intention was always to protect it for the local wildlife," they said.

"To discover powerful owl chicks, a threatened species, made us so pleased and reinforced the decision to protect the land in perpetuity through the BCT."

Landholders’ conservation efforts critical

James said the discovery highlights the important role private conservation land plays in protecting threatened species.

"This is exactly the kind of outcome we hoped to achieve through Land Libraries," he said.

"By combining landholder participation with new technology, we're uncovering critical biodiversity insights that might otherwise go unnoticed."

The program has also helped Andy and Nette learn new wildlife monitoring skills while connecting with other conservation landholders. Along the way, they've recorded bats, previously unidentified bird species, koalas, swamp wallabies, echidnas and the threatened squirrel glider.

Adding to the excitement, the couple later encountered 2 powerful owls while walking on the property, only metres from where the recording device had been deployed.

"We all looked towards the tree, only to discover 2 enormous birds," they recalled.

"I think we all exclaimed at the same time, 'powerful owls!' and watched their expansive wingspan glide them through the bush."

"Programs like Land Libraries empower landholders to play a direct role in protecting biodiversity," James said.

"It continues to demonstrate how innovation and collaboration can unlock new knowledge about NSW's native wildlife, one recording at a time."  

Landholders and birdwatchers are encouraged to follow best-practice guidelines to minimise disturbance to nesting birds.

Resources you can use

The Ethical Birdwatching Guidelines, of BirdLife Australia, is a resource James recommended, while the BCT online education program’s module on habitat enhancement provides a ‘how-to’ to support nesting environments.

You can also learn more about the Land Libraries program.