Listen to the Australian boobook
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Australian boobook
The Australian boobook is a bird in the family Strigidae (order Strigiformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 70 cm and weigh around 316 g.
What does the Australian boobook sound like?
Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once. Songs tend to be long and patterned and are used to hold territory and attract a mate; calls are short signals for contact, alarm and flight.
From Wikipedia
The Australian boobook (Ninox boobook), is a species of owl native to mainland Australia, southern New Guinea, the island of Timor, and the Sunda Islands. Described by John Latham in 1801, it was generally considered to be the same species as the morepork of New Zealand until 1999. Its name is derived from its two-tone boo-book call. Eight subspecies of the Australian boobook are recognized, with three further subspecies being reclassified as separate species in 2019 due to their distinctive calls and genetics.
Related birds in the genus Ninox
More from the family Strigidae
Frequently asked questions
What does an Australian boobook sound like?
You can hear 1 recording of the Australian boobook on this page. Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once.
Is the Australian boobook endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Australian boobook as “least concern”.
What family does the Australian boobook belong to?
The Australian boobook (Ninox boobook) belongs to the family Strigidae in the order Strigiformes.
Sources & credits
- Ninox boobook - Southern Boobook by James Ray – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q3342037 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Australian boobook – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo – GFDL 1.2