Birds on balconies

As I arrived early at the office to start my regular workday, I glanced out to the balcony to locate an Australian Magpie that I heard singing a lovely morning song. To my surprise, silently perched, and not far from this singing Magpie was a magnificent Barn Owl!

Perched on the back of an outdoor chair, the Barn Owl and I locked eyes for a fleeting moment, before it departed to find a better roost for the day ahead.

This species is widespread across Australia and is only limited by habitat and food availability. It is often recorded in Sydney Olympic Park, both in the Parklands and the Town Centre. Being nocturnal, the Barn Owl can often go unnoticed to many as it is most active at night. If spotted during the day, it is usually seen roosting on a concealed tree branch.

This sighting on the office balcony reminded me of a Sydney Olympic Park resident who sent through an enquiry to the Authority after finding a pigeon carcass stripped of flesh on his balcony. SOPA Ecology staff informed the resident that it was likely to have been the leftovers of a raptor’s meal!

Raptors are carnivorous birds with hooked beaks and sharp talons designed to rip flesh off prey. A variety of raptors are recorded at Sydney Olympic Park, including the Peregrine Falcon that is known to feed on pigeons from high perches in urban environments. This species is also known to nest in the urban core of Sydney Olympic Park.

Another memorable occasion occurred in October 2022, when a White-bellied Sea-Eagle juvenile that had recently fledged from its nest in Sydney Olympic Park’s Newington Nature Reserve was found on an apartment balcony nearby. Sea-Eagles have nested in the Reserve for more than a decade, and cameras capture life at their nest every year from July onwards. Watch EagleCAM now to see fluffy white chicks turn into the second largest bird of prey in Australia, with a wingspan of about 2m.