The Rufous Owl (Ninox rufa) is as discreet as it is formidable. It can snatch a sleeping Brush Turkey off its roost and has also been known to take Scrubfowl, Papuan Frogmouths, Kookaburras, White Cockatoos, Flying Foxes, Gliders, Possums and a variety of insects and spiders.
Their nocturnal vision is legendary, with huge eyes that absorb as much as a hundred times more light than human eyes. Their forward-facing eyes cannot be rotated in their sockets, so they always look straight ahead.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.
Nice pic Neil. Where abouts was it taken?
Hi Libby,
As it is with just about all my photography, the image was captured at Cooper Creek Wilderness. The Owl was strategically positioned at the rainforest edge, overlooking an area of open ground from the branch of a Grey Sassafras.
Thanks for the pic Neil( love wildlife photographs). It’s interesting to note that some owls have the same pattern as hawks.
Wonderful picture BUT that has to be the worst case of photographic red-eye I have ever seen:-).
OK. So what colour are its eyes really?
Jennifer, surely you are not suggesting that I would misrepresent the integrity of my subject matter with, say, digitial manipulation?
Pressed for time, I present my full collection of rufous owl eye-shots without changing any colour.
The iris is yellow and the red is the reflection of the flash from the lucidum tapetum behind the owl’s retina.
Alas, the format will not allow subsequent images within the thread.