BirdUp · Species
Australian Boobook
Ninox boobook(Latham, 1801)
- Commonness
- Very common
- Best seen
- Year-round
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
The Australian 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. Eight subspecies of the Australian boobook are recognized, with three further subspecies being reclassified as separate species in 2019 due to their distinctive calls and genetics.
Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
02 · Where
Where to find it
- Breeding range
- Lesser Sundas, south-central New Guinea and Australia (except Tasmania)
03 · When
When to look
Months this species is recorded across its Australian range.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
04 · Voice
What it sounds like

song · Quality B
James Ray · Faulconbridge, Blue Mountains City Council, New South Wales, Australia
05 · Behaviour
Habits and haunts
06 · Gallery
Plumage up close
3 photos
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