Australian Boobook

Ninox boobook (Latham, 1801)

Australian Boobook, Ninox boobook, is an owl found in Australasia, including the Lesser Sundas, southern New Guinea and Australia apart from Tasmania. Described by Latham in 1801, it is the smallest owl on the Australian mainland. It is known for its two-tone boo-book call, which gives the bird its name. Formerly treated as the same species as the New Zealand morepork, it is now recognised separately. Eight subspecies are accepted, and three others were split off in 2019 because of differences in their calls and genetics.

Order

Strigiformes

Family

Strigidae — Owls

Breeding range

Australasia: Lesser Sundas, sc New Guinea and Australia (except Tasmania)