Scientific Name:
Ninox novaeseelandiae boobook
Distribution
Australia, Indonesia, Lesser Sunda Islands, Timor and New Guinea.
Diet:
Small mammals, Will also take invertebrates including beetles and moths.
Facts
Habitat: Eucalypt forest and wooded areas.
Incubation: 2 to 5, incubated for 35 days
Social structure: Solitary or may be seen with its pair in breeding season
Weight: up to 360g
Dimensions: Height up to 36cm. Wingspan up to 82 cm. Tail length up to 16cm. Females often larger than males.
Estimated population in the wild: Common
Lifespan: 15-23 yrs
Threats: Habitat destruction though this is not a substantial threat.
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Did you know that:
- When threatened, they sit bolt upright, with feathers pressed tight against the body, and turn side-on to the source of the threat, appearing long and slender in order to hide.
- They are absent from dense rainforest.
- With fewer trees available, they have nowhere to lay their eggs and raise their young.