New Ireland Boobook

About the New Ireland Boobook

The New Ireland boobook or New Ireland hawk owl also known as the Bismarck boobook, Bismarck hawk owl or barred boobook, is a small to medium-sized owl measuring 25 to 30 cm in length. It is a dark rufous-brown above, with barred scapular feathers and variable amounts of spotting or barring on the wings and tail. Its underparts are whitish, with an unmarked pale throat, a dark barred upper breast and barring on the remainder of the underparts. Its face is dark brown, its eyes are brown or yellow, and its bill and legs are yellow. It is short-tailed and has heavy tarsi.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it lives

When to see it

Peak activity in July · a variable species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Togian BoobookNinox burhaniThe Togian boobook or Togian hawk-owl is an owl (Strigidae) described as new to science in 2004. Manus BoobookNinox meekiThe Manus boobook, Manus hawk owl, Admiralty hawk owl or Admiralty Islands hawk owl is a small owl. Sulu BoobookNinox reyiAmong the species complex, this owl is unique with its call of a series of clucks rather than the typical screeching of the other Philippine hawk-owls in the species complex.