Ninox
Encyclopedia
Ninox is a genus
of owl
s comprising about 20 species found in Asia
and Australasia
. Many species are known as hawk owls or boobooks. Note that the Northern Hawk-Owl Surnia ulula is not a member of this genus.
The species of Ninox are:
The fossil
owls "Otus" wintershofensis and "Strix" brevis, both from the Early or Middle Miocene
of Wintershof West, 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.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s comprising about 20 species found in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
. Many species are known as hawk owls or boobooks. Note that the Northern Hawk-Owl Surnia ulula is not a member of this genus.
The species of Ninox are:
- Rufous OwlRufous OwlThe Rufous Owl , also known as Rufous Boobok, is a species of owl in the Strigidae family. It was first classified in 1846 by John Gould, an English ornithologist. Ninox rufa’s common name reflects the rufous colored feathers that these owls are covered with in adulthood...
, Ninox rufa - Powerful OwlPowerful OwlThe Powerful Owl , also known as the Powerful Boobok, is a species of owl native to south-eastern and eastern Australia, the largest owl on that continent...
, Ninox strenua - Barking OwlBarking OwlThe Barking Owl , also known as the Barking Boobook or Winking Owl, is a nocturnal bird species native to mainland Australia and parts of Papua New Guinea. They are a medium-sized brown owl and have an extremely characteristic voice that can range from a barking dog noise to a shrill woman-like...
, Ninox connivens - Sumba BoobookSumba BoobookThe Sumba Boobook, Ninoxe De Sumba, or Nínox De Sumba is a species of owl in the Strigidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia....
, Ninox rudolfi - Little Sumba Boobook, Ninox sumbaensis
- Southern BoobookSouthern BoobookThe Southern Boobook , also called the Mopoke, Morepork, Ruru or Tasmanian Spotted Owl, is a small brown owl found throughout New Zealand, Tasmania, across most of mainland Australia and in Timor, southern New Guinea and nearby islands.The bird has almost 20 alternative common names, most of which...
, Ninox novaeseelandiae- Morepork, Ninox (novaeseelandiae) novaeseelandiae
- Norfolk Boobook, Ninox novaeseelandiae undulata - extinct (1996)
- Southern Boobook, Ninox (novaeseelandiae) boobook
- Lord Howe Island Morepork, Ninox novaeseelandiae/boobook albaria - extinct (1950s)
- New Caledonian Boobook, Ninox cf. novaeseelandiae - prehistoricLate Quaternary prehistoric birdsPrehistoric birds are various taxa of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by bird scientists...
, might still survive - Andaman Hawk-OwlAndaman Hawk-owlThe Andaman Hawk-Owl is a species of owl in the Strigidae family. It is endemic to India.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forests. It is becoming rare due to habitat loss.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
, Ninox affinis - Brown Hawk-Owl, Ninox scutulata
- Northern BoobookNorthern BoobookThe Northern Boobook is species of bird in the Strigidae family. It was recently split from the Brown Hawk-Owl...
, Ninox japonica- Split from Ninox scutulata by the IOCInternational Ornithological CongressThe International Ornithological Congress series forms the oldest and largest international series of meetings of ornithologists. It is organised by the International Ornithological Committee, a group of about 200 ornithologists...
. Split supported by Clements' 6th EditionThe Clements Checklist of Birds of the WorldThe Clements Checklist of Birds of the World is a book by Jim Clements which presents a list of the bird species of the world.It is currently in its sixth edition , and is being published by Cornell University Press. Previous editions were published by the author's own imprint, Ibis Publishing. An...
.
- Split from Ninox scutulata by the IOC
- Chocolate BoobookChocolate BoobookThe Chocolate Boobook is species of bird in the Strigidae family. It was recently split from the Brown Hawk-Owl . It is found in the Philippines on all major islands except Palawan.-External links:...
, Ninox randi- Split from Ninox scutulata by the IOCInternational Ornithological CongressThe International Ornithological Congress series forms the oldest and largest international series of meetings of ornithologists. It is organised by the International Ornithological Committee, a group of about 200 ornithologists...
Split supported by Clements' 6th EditionThe Clements Checklist of Birds of the WorldThe Clements Checklist of Birds of the World is a book by Jim Clements which presents a list of the bird species of the world.It is currently in its sixth edition , and is being published by Cornell University Press. Previous editions were published by the author's own imprint, Ibis Publishing. An...
.
- Split from Ninox scutulata by the IOC
- White-browed Hawk-OwlWhite-browed Hawk-owlThe White-browed Hawk-Owl is a species of owl in the Strigidae family.It is endemic to Madagascar.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
, Ninox superciliaris - Philippine Hawk-OwlPhilippine Hawk-owlThe Philippine Hawk-Owl is a species of owl in the Strigidae family. It is endemic to the Philippines.-Description:...
, Ninox philippensis - Ochre-bellied Boobook, Ninox ochracea
- Cinnabar Boobook, Ninox ios
- Moluccan Hawk-OwlMoluccan Hawk-owlThe Moluccan Hawk-Owl , is a species of owl in the Strigidae family. It is found in Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Subspecies:...
, Ninox squamipila - Christmas Boobook, Ninox natalis
- Jungle Boobook, Ninox theomacha
- Manus Boobook, Ninox meeki
- Speckled Boobook, Ninox punctulata
- New Ireland Boobook, Ninox variegata
- New Britain Boobook, Ninox odiosa
- Solomons Boobook, Ninox jacquinoti
- Togian Boobook, Ninox burhani
The fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
owls "Otus" wintershofensis and "Strix" brevis, both from the Early or Middle Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
of Wintershof West, 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 gogglesNight vision gogglesA night vision device is an optical instrument that allows images to be produced in levels of light approaching total darkness. They are most often used by the military and law enforcement agencies, but are available to civilian users...
; it is named after Ninox strenua.