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Photo: Joseph Smit / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

New Ireland Boobook

Ninox variegata

New Ireland Boobook (Ninox variegata) — Owls of Australia & Oceania.

The New Ireland Boobook (Ninox variegata) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 179 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

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

Where it lives

Montane Lavongai and New Ireland (northeastern Bismarck Arch.)

Quick facts

Weight
179 g
Family
Strigidae
Order
Strigiformes
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

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

The New Ireland Boobook (Ninox variegata) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU montane Lavongai and New Ireland (ne Bismarck Arch.).

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 179 g, with a wing length of about 20.8 cm and a tail of around 13 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 7,756 km² — a relatively restricted global range.

Frequently asked questions

How big is the New Ireland Boobook?

The New Ireland Boobook is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 179 g.

Where does the New Ireland Boobook live?

The New Ireland Boobook is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU montane Lavongai and New Ireland (ne Bismarck Arch.), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the New Ireland Boobook belong to?

The New Ireland Boobook (Ninox variegata) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.

What does the New Ireland Boobook eat?

The New Ireland Boobook is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the New Ireland Boobook migrate?

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

Is the New Ireland 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.

How large is the New Ireland Boobook's range?

The New Ireland Boobook has a mapped global range of about 7,756 km².

Conservation

Least Concern

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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Meet the Strigidae

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

1 min read

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