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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Strigidae
  4. ›
  5. Ninox
  6. ›
  7. Christmas Boobook
Christmas Boobook
Photo · Charles William Andrews (1866-1924) (Author) John Gerrard Keulemans (1842-1912) (Illustrator)

BirdUp · Species

Christmas Boobook

Ninox natalisLister, 1889

Updated 21 March 2026

Conservation status: EndangeredOrigin: Endemic
Order
STRIGIFORMES
Family
Strigidae
Genus
Ninox

At a glance

The Christmas Boobook is a medium-sized bird, about 26–29 cm long, listed as Endangered and endemic to Australia. It is best seen in summer.

Size
26–29 cm
Conservation status
Endangered
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Summer
Commonness
Rare
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Christmas Boobook look like?

The Christmas Boobook is a medium-sized bird, about 26–29 cm long and weighing 120–190 g.

The Christmas boobook, also known as the Christmas hawk owl, Christmas Island boobook or Christmas Island hawk owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
26–29 cm
Weight
120–190 g
Wingspan
60 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Christmas Boobook?

The Christmas Boobook is recorded across its Australian range mainly in January, March, May, August, September, November and December.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Christmas Boobook eat?

The Christmas Boobook feeds on terrestrial invertebrates and terrestrial vertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

2 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Christmas Boobook live in Australia?

The Christmas Boobook is endemic to Australia, recorded across 1 of Australia’s bioregions.

Breeding range
Christmas I. (south of west Java)