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Its name is derived from its two-tone boo-book call.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyOwls
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatTimbered edges, open forest, suburban gardens with mature trees, and lightly wooded scrub.
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from September to January.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
5711visible hotspots
51667visible records
6states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Small brownish owl with dark ‘glasses’ surrounding eyes. Plumage and size varies depending on region with some subspecies exhibiting much darker plumage than others. Fairly common in a wide variety of habitats. Similar to Morepork, and range overlaps in winter in southern Victoria; Southern Boobook is larger, lighter, and has less extensive spotting.
Behavior
Song is a familiar ‘boo-book’ with the second note lower pitched than the first, lower and rougher-sounding than Morepork.
Gallery