A little night time visitor

Australian Owlet-nightjar

Last night we were watching television with the lounge door open; it was a pleasant summer’s night. During a particularly quiet segment of the show we were watching we suddenly heard the churring call of our “resident” Australian Owlet-nightjar.

“He’s still around,’ we both cried out.

Now I need to clarify a few points here:

• I use the word “our” loosely. It is a wild bird in the natural environment so we do not own it.
• I am not sure if this particular bird is actually a resident on our 5 acre property. We do hear it often enough to think that it is here most days, but have no proof of that.
• I have no idea if it is a male or female – to call it “he” is more of a generic term.

Over recent months we have not heard this bird calling many times at all, so it was delightful to hear the call last night. I like to think that it is quite contented living around here most of the time.

A few years ago one bird – perhaps the same one – took up occupation of a significant hollow in one of our mallee trees in our back yard. Amusingly, during the cool winter months it would emerge from the hollow every morning around 11am and sun itself in the opening of the hollow, call a few times and then retreat to sleep until evening. Sometimes we would even hear it calling again as it went out feeding during the night., being mostly a nocturnal species. It was on one of those occasions that I was able to sneak up closer for a photo (shown above).

Over the last two summers the hollow has come under the “ownership” of a pair of Mallee Ringneck parrots who have successfully added to their family each time. Lately they have been busy feeding two very persistent young ones which have recently fledged.

Further reading:

• Australian Owlet-nightjar
• Australian Owlet-nightjar
• Australian Owlet-nightjar does exist
• Australian Owlet-nightjar in our garden
• A special call in the night