Ninox boobook
Silhouette: Rachel T Mason · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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.
The smallest owl on the Australian mainland, the Australian boobook is 27 to 36 cm (10.5 to 14 in) long, with predominantly dark-brown plumage with prominent pale spots. It has grey-green or yellow-green eyes. It is generally nocturnal, though sometimes it is active at dawn and dusk, retiring to roost in secluded spots in the foliage of trees. The Australian boobook feeds on insects and small vertebrates, hunting by pouncing on them from tree perches. Breeding takes place from late winter to early summer, using tree hollows as nesting sites. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the Australian boobook as being of least concern on account of its large range and apparently stable population. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZooParc de Beauval | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Tierpark Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 4 | Walsrode World Bird Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Espace Rambouillet | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 6 | Kyabram Fauna Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Alice Springs Desert Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Ballarat Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Gorge Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Small Breeds Farm Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 12 | Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Le centre de soins des rapaces Espace Rambouillet | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 15 | Ranger Red’s Zoo & Conservation Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Boobook sighting in Great Otway National Park on a given day, based on 208 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 108th most-seen of the 175 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Boobook in Great Otway National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–August and October–April, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Southern Boobook sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
10th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate Southern Boobook sightings, Great Otway National Park ranks 10th at under 5%. The best odds are in Flinders Chase (Australia, about 10%), Flinders Ranges National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Lamington National Park (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Southern Boobook is recorded against all the birds logged in Great Otway National Park (208 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
