''Ninox'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

true owl The true owls or typical owls (family Strigidae) are one of the two generally accepted families of owls, the other being the barn owls (Tytonidae). This large family comprises 230 living or recently extinct species in 24 genera. The typical owl ...

s comprising 36 species found in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

and

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...

. Many species are known as hawk-owls or boobooks, but the

northern hawk-owl The northern hawk-owl or northern hawk owl (''Surnia ulula'') is a medium-sized true owl of the northern latitudes. It is non-migratory and usually stays within its breeding range, though it sometimes irrupts southward. It is one of the few owl ...

(''Surnia ulula'') is not a member of this genus.

Taxonomy

The genus was introduced by English naturalist

Brian Houghton Hodgson Brian Houghton Hodgson (1 February 1800 or more likely 1801 – 23 May 1894) was a pioneer naturalist and ethnologist working in India and Nepal where he was a British Resident. He described numerous species of birds and mammals from the Himala ...

in 1837 with the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

as ''Ninox nipalensis'', a

junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...

of ''Strix lugubris'' Tickell 1833. ''Strix lugubris'' is now considered a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the

brown boobook The brown boobook (''Ninox scutulata''), also known as the brown hawk-owl, is an owl which is a resident breeder in south Asia from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal east to western Indonesia and south China. This species is a part of the ...

(''Ninox scutula lugubris''). NinoxFuscaSquamipilaKeulemans

Species

The genus contains 37 species: *†

Laughing owl The laughing owl (''Ninox albifacies''), also known as ''whēkau'' or the white-faced owl, was an endemic owl of New Zealand. Plentiful when European settlers arrived in New Zealand, its scientific description was published in 1845, but it was l ...

, '' Ninox albifacies'' (extinct) * Rufous owl, '' Ninox rufa'' *

Powerful owl The powerful owl (''Ninox strenua''), a species of owl native to south-eastern and eastern Australia, is the largest owl on the continent. It is found in coastal areas and in the Great Dividing Range, rarely more than inland. The IUCNRed List ...

, '' Ninox strenua'' *

Barking owl The barking owl (''Ninox connivens''), also known as the winking owl, is a nocturnal bird species native to mainland Australia and parts of New Guinea and the Moluccas. They are a medium-sized brown owl and have a characteristic voice with cal ...

, '' Ninox connivens'' *

Sumba boobook The Sumba boobook (''Ninox rudolfi'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to Sumba in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest and subtropical or tropical moist ...

, '' Ninox rudolfi'' * Australian boobook, ''Ninox boobook'' *

Rote boobook The Rote boobook (''Ninox rotiensis'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to Rote Island in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and ...

''Ninox rotiensis'' *

Timor boobook The Timor boobook (''Ninox fusca'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is found on Timor, Roma, Leti and Semau Islands in the eastern Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia. It has a more grey-brown plumage with no red tinge, unlike oth ...

''Ninox fusca'' *

Alor boobook The Alor boobook (''Ninox plesseni'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is native to Pantar and Alor Islands in the eastern Lesser Sunda Islands. References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q60793192 Ninox Birds described in 1929 Birds of I ...

, ''Ninox plesseni'' *

Tasmanian boobook The Tasmanian boobook (''Ninox leucopsis''), also known as the Tasmanian spotted owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is native to Tasmania. Formerly considered conspecific with the morepork (''N. novaeseelandiae''), multiple phy ...

, ''Ninox leucopsis'' *

Morepork The morepork (''Ninox novaeseelandiae''), also called the ruru, is a small brown owl found in New Zealand, Norfolk Island and formerly Lord Howe Island. The bird has almost 20 alternative common names, including mopoke and boobook—many of t ...

, '' Ninox novaeseelandiae'' *

Northern boobook The northern boobook (''Ninox japonica'') belongs to the family Strigidae (true owls) and is a raptorial owl endemic to eastern and southern countries of Asia. The species was considered, until recently, a conspecific of ''Ninox scutulata'' or br ...

, ''Ninox japonica'' *

Brown boobook The brown boobook (''Ninox scutulata''), also known as the brown hawk-owl, is an owl which is a resident breeder in south Asia from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal east to western Indonesia and south China. This species is a part of the ...

, '' Ninox scutulata'' *

Hume's boobook Hume's boobook or Hume's hawk-owl (''Ninox obscura'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae endemic to the Andaman Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests ...

, '' Ninox obscura'' *

Chocolate boobook The chocolate boobook (''Ninox randi'') is a bird species in the true owl family, Strigidae. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the brown boobook. It is endemic to the Philippines, where it is found on all major islands except Palaw ...

, ''Ninox randi'' *

Andaman boobook The Andaman boobook or Andaman hawk-owl (''Ninox affinis'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Andaman Islands. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical m ...

, '' Ninox affinis'' *

Philippine hawk-owl The Philippine hawk-owl is a species complex of owls in the family Strigidae. They are all endemic to the Philippines. Description The Philippine hawk-owls are earless. The males and females look much alike. They differ in size and pattern on th ...

group **

Luzon boobook The Luzon boobook or Luzon hawk-owl (''Ninox philippensis'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Philippines where it lives in forests. It is a brown and white mottled bird and males and females look much alike. Des ...

, ''Ninox philippensis'' **

Mindanao boobook The Mindanao boobook or Mindanao hawk-owl (''Ninox spilocephala'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae that is endemic to the Philippines on the island of Mindanao. It was previously known as a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but w ...

, ''Ninox spilocephala'' ** Camiguin boobook, ''Ninox leventisi'' **

Sulu boobook The Sulu boobook or Sulu hawk-owl (''Ninox reyi'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines. It was previously known as a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but was reclassified in ...

, ''Ninox reyi'' **

Cebu boobook The Cebu boobook or Cebu hawk-owl (''Ninox rumseyi'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Philippines. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Philippine hawk-owl, but was reclassified in 2012, as voice and ot ...

, ''Ninox rumseyi'' ** Romblon boobook, ''Ninox spilonotus'' **

Mindoro boobook The Mindoro boobook or Mindoro hawk-owl (''Ninox mindorensis'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae that is endemic to the Philippines. Description EBird describes the bird as "A fairly small owl of lowland and foothill forest and woodla ...

, ''Ninox mindorensis'' *

Least boobook The least boobook (''Ninox sumbaensis''), also known as the little Sumba hawk-owl or little Sumba boobook, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to the Indonesian island of Sumba. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropic ...

, ''Ninox sumbaensis'' * Togian boobook, ''Ninox burhani'' *

Ochre-bellied boobook The ochre-bellied boobook (''Ninox ochracea'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It is endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It ...

, '' Ninox ochracea'' *

Cinnabar boobook The cinnabar boobook (''Ninox ios''), also known as the cinnabar hawk-owl, is a hawk-owl endemic to the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. It was described as a new species to science by American ornithologist Pamela C. Rasmussen in 1999 based on ...

, '' Ninox ios'' *

Moluccan boobook The Moluccan boobook or Moluccan hawk-owl group (''Ninox'' spp.), are a group of owls in the family Strigidae. They are found in Indonesia. Once consider a single species, the four species are now considered part of a species complex. Natural hab ...

group **

Halmahera boobook The Halmahera boobook (''Ninox hypogramma'') is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. It inhabits the Indonesian islands of Halmahera, Ternate and Bacan. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened ...

, ''Ninox hypogramma'' ** Buru boobook, ''Ninox hantu'' ** Seram boobook, ''Ninox squamipila'' ** Tanimbar boobook, ''Ninox forbesi'' * Christmas boobook, '' Ninox natalis'' *

Manus boobook The Manus boobook (''Ninox meeki'') is a small owl. It has an unmarked brown facial disk, rufous crown and back, barred white flight feathers and tail, and whitish underparts with rufous streaking. This species is endemic to Manus Island, in the ...

, '' Ninox meeki'' * Papuan boobook, '' Ninox theomacha'' * Speckled boobook, '' Ninox punctulata'' *

New Britain boobook The New Britain boobook (''Ninox odiosa''), also known as the spangled boobook, New Britain hawk-owl or russet hawk-owl, is a small owl that is endemic to New Britain, the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago in Papua New Guinea. Descrip ...

, '' Ninox odiosa'' * New Ireland boobook, '' Ninox variegata'' Genomic studies of the extinct

laughing owl The laughing owl (''Ninox albifacies''), also known as ''whēkau'' or the white-faced owl, was an endemic owl of New Zealand. Plentiful when European settlers arrived in New Zealand, its scientific description was published in 1845, but it was l ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

indicate that it actually belongs in ''Ninox'' rather than the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

genus ''Sceloglaux''. The

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

owls ''"Otus" wintershofensis'' and ''"Strix" brevis'', both from the Early or Middle

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

of Wintershof, Germany, are close to this genus; the latter was sometimes explicitly placed in ''Ninox'' (Olson 1985), but is now in '' Intutula''. ''"Strix" edwardsi'' from the Late Miocene of La Grive St. Alban, France, might also belong into this group.

In human culture

*"NINOX" is an Australian Army project to develop

night-vision goggles A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD), night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The dev ...

; it is named after ''Ninox strenua.''

References

*Olson, Storrs L. (1985): IX.C. Strigiformes. ''In:'' Farner, D.S.; King, J.R. & Parkes, Kenneth C. (eds.): ''Avian Biology'' 8: 129–132. Academic Press, New York.

Taxonomy

Species

In human culture

References

Further reading