Photo: muangpaisuetrong / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Northern Boobook
Ninox japonica
Northern Boobook (Ninox japonica) — Owls of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 17 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Northern Boobook (Ninox japonica) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 225 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 japonica
Where it lives
Russian Far East to Korean Pen., Japan and Taiwan
Quick facts
- Weight
- 225 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Northern 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 Northern Boobook is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Northern Boobook (Ninox japonica) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, OR Russian Far East to Korean Pen., Japan and Taiwan.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 225 g, with a wing length of about 21.5 cm and a tail of around 11.7 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 4.1 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Northern Boobook?
The Northern Boobook is a large bird that weighs around 225 g.
Where does the Northern Boobook live?
The Northern Boobook is found across Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering PAL, OR Russian Far East to Korean Pen., Japan and Taiwan, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Northern Boobook belong to?
The Northern Boobook (Ninox japonica) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Northern Boobook eat?
The Northern Boobook is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Northern Boobook migrate?
The Northern Boobook is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Northern 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 Northern Boobook make?
1 real field recording of the Northern 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 Northern Boobook's range?
The Northern Boobook has a mapped global range of about 4.1 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.