Photo: Patrick_K59 / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Australian Boobook
Ninox boobook
Australian Boobook (Ninox boobook) — Owls of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Australian Boobook (Ninox boobook) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 282 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 boobook
Where it lives
Lesser Sundas, south-central New Guinea and Australia (except Tasmania)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 282 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Not Evaluated
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Australian Boobook is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Australian Boobook is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Australian Boobook (Ninox boobook) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Lesser Sundas, sc New Guinea and Australia (except Tasmania).
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 282 g, with a wing length of about 22.7 cm and a tail of around 14.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 7.7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Australian Boobook?
The Australian Boobook is a large bird that weighs around 282 g.
Where does the Australian Boobook live?
The Australian Boobook is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Lesser Sundas, sc New Guinea and Australia (except Tasmania), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Australian Boobook belong to?
The Australian Boobook (Ninox boobook) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Australian Boobook eat?
The Australian Boobook is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Australian Boobook migrate?
The Australian Boobook is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Australian 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 Australian Boobook make?
1 real field recording of the Australian Boobook can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Australian Boobook's range?
The Australian Boobook has a mapped global range of about 7.7 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.