About the Barking Owl
The barking owl or barking boobook, also known as the winking owl, is a nocturnal bird species native to mainland Australia and parts of New Guinea and the Moluccas. They are medium-sized brown owls and have a characteristic voice with calls ranging from a barking dog noise to an intense human-like howl.
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The barking owl is coloured brown with white spots on its wings and a vertically streaked chest. They have large eyes that have a yellow iris, a discrete facial mask and yellow skin on the feet. Their underparts are brownish-grey and coarsely spotted white with their tail and flight feathers being strongly banded brown and white. They are a robust, medium-sized owl 39–44 cm (15–17 in) long and their wingspan is between 85 and 120 cm (33 and 47 in). They weigh between 380 and 960 g (13 and 34 oz). Voice: Most people hear the barking owl rather than see it as it has a loud and explosive voice. The main territorial vocalisation is in the form of a double 'hoot', similar in pattern to the other Australian hawk owls. It sounds like a double dog bark, so closely resembling a small dog that it is difficult to tell the difference. The barking owl name is derived from these calls.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where the Barking Owl lives
When to see the Barking Owl
Peak activity in July · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Rufous OwlNinox rufaThe rufous owl is a large bird, often growing to 46–57 cm (18–22 in) in length, with a wingspan of 100 to 120 cm (39 to 47 in).
Hume's BoobookNinox obscuraHume's boobook or Hume's hawk-owl is a species of owl in the family Strigidae endemic to the Andaman Islands.
Luzon BoobookNinox philippensisThe Luzon boobook is one of the smallest of the owls in the Philippine hawk-owl complex.
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