Science students have a hoot owl spotting

They’re not just magical creatures reserved for students at Hogwarts – owls also call Griffith University home.

Griffith Sciences students studying ecology this semester were lucky enough to spot some rare powerful owls during their field work on the Gold Coast campus.

Dr Guy Castley, of the Griffith School of Environment, said thestudents were completinga bird watching exercise to compare bird communities in the woodland to those of the built environment campus.

“During these surveys one of the groups came across a pair of Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua) at their daytime roost,” he said.
“The Powerful Owl is the largest of the Australian owl species and is primarily found in Queensland, NSW, and Victoria. Populations in each of these areas are currently listed as Vulnerable or Endangered under State conservation legislation.
“This means that Griffith’s remnant patch of Blackbutt Woodland (also a threatened ecological community) on the southern end of Smith Street supports local populations of a number of threatened wildlife species. Other mammals that previous surveys have revealed include the Koala and Greater Glider. This highlights how important conserving these patches of urban bushland is for wildlife communities.”
Students at Griffith’s Nathan campus also do field work in the Toohey Forest.