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Photo: Forest Jarvis / CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Mindanao Boobook

Ninox spilocephala

Mindanao Boobook (Ninox spilocephala) — Owls of South & Southeast Asia.

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The Mindanao Boobook (Ninox spilocephala) is a member of the Strigidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 137 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Strigiformes
  3. Family Strigidae Owls
  4. Genus Ninox
  5. Species spilocephala

Where it lives

Basilan, Mindanao, Siargao and Dinagat Is. (southern Philippines)

Quick facts

Weight
137 g
Diet
Omnivores
Family
Strigidae
Order
Strigiformes
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Mindanao Boobook is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Mindanao Boobook is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Mindanao Boobook (Ninox spilocephala) belongs to the Strigidae family of the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR Basilan, Mindanao, Siargao and Dinagat Is. (s Philippines).

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 137 g, with a wing length of about 17.8 cm and a tail of around 8.2 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 97,000 km².

Songs & calls

Mindanao Boobook — Song

Recorded by Hans Matheve Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Mindanao Boobook?

The Mindanao Boobook is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 137 g.

Where does the Mindanao Boobook live?

The Mindanao Boobook is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR Basilan, Mindanao, Siargao and Dinagat Is. (s Philippines), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Mindanao Boobook belong to?

The Mindanao Boobook (Ninox spilocephala) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.

What does the Mindanao Boobook eat?

The Mindanao Boobook is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Mindanao Boobook migrate?

The Mindanao Boobook is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Mindanao Boobook endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Mindanao Boobook make?

1 real field recording of the Mindanao Boobook — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Mindanao Boobook's range?

The Mindanao Boobook has a mapped global range of about 97,000 km².

Conservation

Near Threatened

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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A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.

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