Lights Out, Eyes Up — Boroondara Cemetery Joins Deakin University Owl Survey

Boroondara Cemetery is proud to announce an exciting new research partnership with Deakin University, as part of their latest study into Owls and Tawny Frogmouths in urban environments.

Beginning in early May, the cemetery will become one of several key sites across the region to host regular nocturnal bird surveys over a three-year period. Conducted alongside other important locations and native vegetation corridors, the research aims to build a clearer picture of how these remarkable birds navigate, roost, feed and breed within our urban landscape.

With its mature trees, diverse plantings and rich biodiversity, Boroondara Cemetery offers an ideal habitat for nocturnal wildlife — and the survey team hopes to uncover just how many owls and Tawny Frogmouths are quietly making use of our grounds after dark. Whether visiting to hunt, roost or find a mate, these birds are a vital part of our local ecosystem, and understanding their movements is an important step in protecting urban biodiversity for the future.

The surveys will be carried out at regular intervals throughout the three-year study, monitoring which native nocturnal species are present and how their activity within the cemetery changes across seasons and years. The cemetery is thrilled to be contributing to genuine scientific research and to play a small but meaningful role in better understanding the wildlife that shares our space.

For those with a passion for birds, urban ecology or citizen science, this is a wonderful initiative to be aware of — and we look forward to sharing findings from the study as it progresses.