- Ninox japonica
Identification
27 - 33cm. A medium sized owl which resembles a hawk with its long tail and wings. Face dark with a small white patch between the yellow eyes. Plumage dark brown, barred tail, buffish-white to uniform dark belly, according to subspecies. Sexes similar, but male smaller than female.
Told from other Ninox Owls by lack of white spots on back and dark head.
Distribution
Found in south-eastern Siberia, northern and eastern China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
Winters to southern Asia.
Taxonomy
Was formerly considerd conspecific with Brown Hawk-Owl.
Subspecies[1]
Two subspecies recognized:
- N j. japonica: south-eastern Siberia to south-eastern Manchuria, eastern China, Korea and Japan; winters southern Asia
- N.j. totogo: Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan
Habitat
Forest. Wide variety of different forest types troughout range (e.g. rainforest, deciduous, evergreen, coniferous forest, even plantations, parks and suburbs.
Behavior
Nocturnal. Roosts by day singly or in pairs in thick canopy.
Diet
Feeds mainly on insects (dragonflies, moths), catched in the air. Takes also crabs, lizards, amphibians, small birds, small mammals (including bats). Hunts in clearings, forest egdes or cultivated area.
Breeding
Nests in a tree hole. Lays 2 - 5 eggs.
References
- Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Northern Boobook. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Northern_Boobook
