Scientific name:
Ninox boobook
Other names:
Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae), Mopoke
Status:
Least Concern
- Size: 25-36 cm in length with a wingspan of 60-90 cm
- Weight: 170-300 grams
- Plumage: Dark brown to grey-brown upperparts with white spots and streaks, and lighter, streaked underparts
- Eyes: Large and yellow, characteristic of nocturnal birds
- Beak: Hooked and adapted for a carnivorous diet
Carnivorous diet primarily consisting of:
- Small mammals (e.g., rodents, bats)
- Insects (e.g., beetles, moths, grasshoppers)
- Birds (e.g., small songbirds)
- Reptiles and amphibians occasionally
- Prefers a variety of wooded environments:
- Eucalypt forests
- Rainforests
- Woodland areas
- Urban parks and gardens
- Generally requires areas with dense vegetation for roosting and nesting
- Widely distributed across Australia, including:
- Mainland Australia
- Tasmania
- Also found in Papua New Guinea and some parts of Indonesia
- Nocturnal: Active during the night, with hunting and feeding primarily occurring after dusk
- Vocalizations: Known for their distinctive call which sounds like “boo-book” or “more-pork,” leading to some of their common names
- Breeding: Nesting occurs in tree hollows, lined with leaves and other soft materials; breeding season typically from August to December
- Territorial: Defend their territory aggressively, especially during breeding season
- Roosting: During the day, they roost in dense foliage or tree hollows to avoid predators and disturbances
Reptile Encounters would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, the people of the Kulin Nation, who have never ceded sovereignty. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land.