Photo: Drsssuresh1961 / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Brown Boobook
Ninox scutulata
Brown Boobook (Ninox scutulata) — Owls of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Brown Boobook (Ninox scutulata) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 191 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Ninox
- Species scutulata
Where it lives
Northern India to southern China and Borneo
Quick facts
- Weight
- 191 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Brown Boobook is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Brown Boobook is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Brown Boobook (Ninox scutulata) is a member of the Strigidae family, within the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR, PAL n India to s China and Borneo.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 191 g, with a wing length of about 18.2 cm and a tail of around 9.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 5.2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Brown Boobook?
The Brown Boobook is a large bird that weighs around 191 g.
Where does the Brown Boobook live?
The Brown Boobook is found across Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR, PAL n India to s China and Borneo, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Brown Boobook belong to?
The Brown Boobook (Ninox scutulata) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Brown Boobook eat?
The Brown Boobook is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Brown Boobook migrate?
The Brown Boobook is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Brown Boobook endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Brown Boobook make?
1 real field recording of the Brown Boobook — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Brown Boobook's range?
The Brown Boobook has a mapped global range of about 5.2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.