You're likely to hear the Australian southern boobook before you see it. This speckled brown owl is found in open eucalypt forests and woodlands across eastern NSW. Also known as the mopoke, the southern boobook is the smallest and most common native owl in Australia.

The nocturnal southern boobook roosts during the day in dense foliage, often observed perched on an open branch or tree-top. A raptor, or bird of prey, it generally feeds during the evening, early mornings or on cloudy days. A swift and deadly hunter among Australian birds, it perches on branches listening and watching the forest floor for the movement of small insects, spiders and mice.