Luzon Boobook
A species of Asian and Australasian Hawk-owls and Boobooks, Also known as Philippine Hawk-owl Scientific name : Ninox philippensis Genus : Asian and Australasian Hawk-owls and Boobooks
Luzon Boobook, A species of Asian and Australasian Hawk-owls and Boobooks
Also known as:
Philippine Hawk-owl
Botanical name: Ninox philippensis
Genus: Asian and Australasian Hawk-owls and Boobooks
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Charley Hesse TROPICAL BIRDING
Description
The Luzon hawk-owl is one of the smallest of the owls in the Philippine hawk-owl complex. It has white eyebrow-like streaks above the eyes and the beak and a white moustache forming an x-shape on the head. It does not have tufts of feathers on its head resembling ears. The upper parts of all subspecies are brown and the wings are mottled with oval-shaped white spots. The tail is dark brown with narrow white stripes. The sides of the head are brown, the chin is a whitish colour, while the rest of the underparts are pale white with wide brown streaks which are more prominent on the breast. The underside of the tail is white. The chequered subspecies have these reticulated patterns on the underparts, on the head, the upper parts of the back and the wings. The feet are partially covered with feathers and are pale yellow. The beak is olive.
Size
20 cm
Feeding Habits
Luzon Boobook's diet consists primarily of insects, alongside occasional small birds, frogs, and lizards. It employs active hunting techniques to capture this variety of prey, with specialized night-time foraging behaviors that leverage its nocturnal adaptations.
Habitat
Luzon Boobook typically inhabits primary and secondary rainforests, including remnant forest stands, gallery forests, and areas along the edges of forests. These birds are predominantly found in lowland tropical environments and prefer the darker, more concealed sections of these forests for their daytime roosting.
Dite type
Carnivorous
General Info
Species Status
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) uses the taxonomy classification before splitting the Philippine hawk-owl complex was suggested, so it does not have a separate assessment for the Luzon hawk-owl. However, the IUCN treating the complex as a single species report that these owls have a large range and that they are locally common within that range and the population size is believed to be stable. The owls face no particular threats, and as a result, the IUCN has listed the group as being of "least concern".
Photo By Charley Hesse TROPICAL BIRDING