Photo: Vicki Nunn / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Barking Owl
Ninox connivens
Barking Owl (Ninox connivens) — Owls of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Barking Owl (Ninox connivens) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 578 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 connivens
Quick facts
- Weight
- 578 g
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Barking Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Barking Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Barking Owl (Ninox connivens) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU n Moluccas, e New Guinea and Australia.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 578 g, with a wing length of about 29.9 cm and a tail of around 17.9 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Barking Owl?
The Barking Owl is a large bird that weighs around 578 g.
Where does the Barking Owl live?
The Barking Owl is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU n Moluccas, e New Guinea and Australia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Barking Owl belong to?
The Barking Owl (Ninox connivens) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Barking Owl eat?
The Barking Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Barking Owl migrate?
The Barking Owl is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Barking Owl 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 Barking Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Barking Owl — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Barking Owl's range?
The Barking Owl has a mapped global range of about 2.8 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.