Conservationists hope an education campaign will shed light on one of the bigger threats facing an elusive owl population of Margaret River — rodenticides.
Though home to several species of owl, the masked owl was only a relatively recent discovery in Margaret River, and a campaign to raise awareness of their presence coincides with an approaching deadline in a federal review of rodent poisons.
Coordinator of Owl Friendly Margaret River Region, Dr Boyd Wykes, said the elusive native bird often swooped on ailing rodents already debilitated by a household poison, leading to a slow and painful death themselves.
"We don't have much of a handle on these birds, we have only found half a dozen pairs nesting in Margaret River since the initial discovery in 2017," Dr Wykes said.
"It is crucial we do as much as we can to hopefully change behaviour and attitudes towards these baits and save what few owls may be around."
Dr Wykes said for the short term, householders could educate themselves in different ways to trap rodents without the use of poisons.
He suggested the use of non-lethal traps which allow the rodent to be released toxin-free and limiting the availability of food scraps around the house — particularly in rural settings.
Dr Boyd credited wildlife photographer Steve Castan with the first known recorded sighting of a masked owl in Margaret River in 2017.
"I have no doubt others would have been aware of their presence in this region, but for the most part the masked owl has been hiding in plain sight," Dr Boyd said.
"Most of us had been putting their call, which we had heard prior to the sighting, down to what we thought was simply biffo between possums or barn owls, but since the first sighting, we have been rather obsessive about them."
The region also hosts several other species of owl including the barn owl, boobook, as well as the tawny frogmouth.
