Southern boobook
The southern boobook, also known as the mopoke, is the smallest and most common native owl in Australia. With a musical 'boo-book' call that echoes through forests and woodlands, the southern boobook is a great one to look out for while bird watching.
Read more about Southern boobook
You're likely to hear the Australian southern boobook before you see it. This speckled brown owl is found in open eucalypt forests and woodlands across eastern NSW. Also known as the mopoke, the southern boobook is the smallest and most common native owl in Australia.
The nocturnal southern boobook roosts during the day in dense foliage, often observed perched on an open branch or tree-top. A raptor, or bird of prey, it generally feeds during the evening, early mornings or on cloudy days. A swift and deadly hunter among Australian birds, it perches on branches listening and watching the forest floor for the movement of small insects, spiders and mice.
Animal facts
- Common name
- Southern boobook
- Scientific name
- Ninox novaeseelandiae
- Conservation status in NSW
- Protected
