Australian Boobook (Ninox boobook)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Australian Boobook

Ninox boobook (Latham, 1801)

27–36 cmLength282 gWeight

The Australian boobook (Ninox boobook), is a species of owl native to mainland Australia, southern New Guinea, the island of Timor, and the Sunda Islands.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: Australia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Australian Boobook has been recorded at 156 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Coachwood ParkAustralia661 records
  2. O'Reilly's Rainforest RetreatAustralia355 records
  3. Bunyip State ParkAustralia317 records
More places
  1. Bowra Wildlife SanctuaryAustralia281 records
  2. Bendthualaly, BellawongarahAustralia278 records
  3. Crater Lakes National Park – Chambers Rainforest LodgeAustralia195 records
  4. Nature Refuge Hawkesbury RoadAustralia181 records
  5. Hattah-Kulkyne National ParkAustralia149 records
  6. Bibra LakeAustralia138 records
  7. Gluepot ReserveAustralia102 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Australia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Australian boobook (Ninox boobook), is a species of owl native to mainland Australia, southern New Guinea, the island of Timor, and the Sunda Islands. Described by John Latham in 1801, it was generally considered to be the same species as the morepork of New Zealand until 1999. Its name is derived from its two-tone boo-book call.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Australian Boobook?

The Australian Boobook is about 27–36 cm long and weighs around 282 g.

Where does the Australian Boobook live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: Lesser Sundas, south-central New Guinea and Australia (except Tasmania). It is most often recorded in Australia.

When is the best time to see the Australian Boobook?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Australian Boobook endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Australian Boobook as Least Concern.

What does the Australian Boobook eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Australian Boobook in?

It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.

At a glance

Length
27–36 cm
Weight
282 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
226 mm
Tail
143 mm
Bill
26 mm
Tarsus
41 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: Lesser Sundas, south-central New Guinea and Australia (except Tasmania)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Owls Strigidae
Genus
Ninox

Other birds in the genus Ninox

Rufous OwlRufous OwlNinox rufaPowerful OwlPowerful OwlNinox strenuaBarking OwlBarking OwlNinox connivensSumba BoobookSumba BoobookNinox rudolfiRote BoobookRote BoobookNinox rotiensisTimor BoobookTimor BoobookNinox fuscaAlor BoobookAlor BoobookNinox plesseniTasmanian BoobookTasmanian BoobookNinox leucopsisMoreporkMoreporkNinox novaeseelandiaeNorthern BoobookNorthern BoobookNinox japonicaBrown BoobookBrown BoobookNinox scutulataHume's BoobookHume's BoobookNinox obscura
Australian Boobook

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Jono Dashper. ↗

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