Listening Out For The Australian Powerful Owl
From studying law like a hawk to studying owls for science — QUT research student Callan Alexander is working with BirdLife Australia to help track and monitor Australia’s threatened powerful owl.
As part of his masters research, Alexander will develop an automated species recogniser — a computer algorithm that detects a species’ call from an audio recording.
To do this, he visited several nature reserves around Queensland and captured audio from the environment using acoustic monitors.
“We can take audio from an area and run it through the algorithm which should tell us if there are any powerful owls around,” Alexander said.
“This will help us accurately track the distribution of Australia’s largest owl, especially in remote areas that are difficult to visit regularly.”
BirdLife Australia, in partnership with QUT, will deploy acoustic monitors over a wider area as part of a project funded through the Queensland Government Community Sustainability Action program.
They plan to use Alexander’s program to detect powerful owls that are picked up by these monitors.
“We estimate there’s about 13,000 mature powerful owls in eastern Australia — but that number could be as high as 19,000 or as low as 7000,” said Dr Rob Clemens, Powerful Owl Project Officer with BirdLife Australia.
“There’s this huge expanse — 90 per cent of their range — where we really don’t have a good handle of what they’re doing at all.
“The combination of acoustic monitoring and algorithmic detection will help us understand where these birds are and how they’re doing.”
BirdLife Australia plans to use this data to build better predictive mapping and modelling. This will help inform future planning decisions and protect powerful owl habitats.
“This mapping can feed into planning layers and other things that help industry and government make informed decisions that lower the impact on these incredible birds,” Clemens said.
“This work can really be a game-changer in powerful owl conservation and management, and potentially nocturnal birds in general.”
Associate Professor Susan Fuller supervises Alexander’s acoustic monitoring research and is leading the QUT partnership with BirdLife Australia to identify breeding locations within south-east Queensland.
“Acoustic monitoring allows us to efficiently capture a permanent record of the environment using the sounds within it,” Fuller said.
“Combining this technology with Callan’s recogniser is integral for our work with BirdLife Australia.”
Powerful owls are classified as threatened due to significant habitat loss from land clearing and bushfires, according to Clemens.
“About half of the areas powerful owls occupied prior to European settlement have disappeared,” Clemens said.
“They require a large, 200–500-year-old tree with a big Winnie-the-Pooh-sized hollow to nest in.
“But these trees get chopped down to protect houses and people, or get burned down in bushfires, and it takes a long time for them to grow back.”
Powerful owls’ power in ecosystems
Monitoring and protecting threatened predator species, such as the powerful owl, is important for maintaining a balanced ecosystem.
“If you take the top predator out of a food web, another species can become dominant and crowd out other species — reducing their ability to survive,” Clemens said.
“For example, if there are 13,000 powerful owls in the environment and each of them eat about 300 possums a year, that translates to 3.9 million possums.
“With 3.9 million more possums in the landscape every year, they’re going to eat more plants that other species rely on for food.
“When powerful owls are in the environment, you’re going to have a more balanced ecosystem.”
Hearing the call of nature
When Alexander finished high school, ecological research wasn’t the first thing on his mind. He applied to study law at QUT.
Soon after starting his law degree, he discovered a passion for nature and science.
“The reality is you’re a completely different person a few years after leaving school,” Alexander said.
“I left school absolutely convinced that I wanted to be a lawyer — I got the OP I needed; I’m going to be a lawyer.
“Within a few years, I changed my mind completely. I developed a completely different skillset and interests.
“My law degree was interesting, but I realised it probably wasn’t what I wanted to spend my life doing.
“Fortunately, QUT offers a double degree in law and science. So, I finished my studies with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Science.”
Alexander recognises his love for nature stems from his time growing up in South Africa and bushwalking with family.
“We were always going to national parks where we got to see really incredible wildlife, like lions and elephants,” Alexander said.
“My dad was into birdwatching, my uncle was into birdwatching, and I became a bit of a bird nut in my teenage years.
“I guess going into a science degree was sort of a natural progression for me.”
While Alexander was in the third year of his double degree, he had the opportunity to work with Fuller on a capstone project — a project-based activity that closely relates to professional work in the field.
“I saw quite early on that Callan was passionate about birds and conservation,” Fuller said.
“So, I basically snapped him up as quickly as I could to do a masters project.”
Fuller worked with Alexander to find a research project that complimented his interests and background.
“The secret to successful higher degree research is working on a project that you really love,” Fuller said.
“The value of doing a masters at QUT is that you get a second qualification, you get the opportunity to work with industry on a research project, and it opens the door to further research and potentially a career in academia.”
Alexander is keeping his career options open as he completes his masters research.
“I’d like to undertake a doctorate, but after that I’m not sure what I want to do,” Alexander said.
“I’m just leaving things open and I’ll decide when I get there.”
Want to begin your own research journey? Explore research pathways at QUT.
Visit BirdLife Australia’s website to learn more about the Powerful Owl Project and how you can get involved.
