[order] STRIGIFORMES | [family] Strigidae | [latin] Ninox odiosa | [authority] Sclater, 1877 | [UK] Russet Hawk-owl | [FR] Ninox odieux | [DE] Neubritannienkauz | [ES] Ninox de Nueva Bretana | [NL] New Britainvalkuil
Subspecies
Monotypic species
Genus
Members of the genus Ninox are hawk owls, ranging from small to large, with rounded heads without ear-tufts. They have long, pointed wings and a long tail. The nostrils are forward facing on an enlarged cere in an indistinct facial disk. There are at least 20 species in this genus, from Siberia through much of the Pacific rim, South-east Asia and Australasia.
Physical charateristics
A small Hawk-owl with fine spotted choclate-brown upperparts. Underparts are paler mottled white and brown. Consipicous white eyebrows and throat patch give distinctive facial appearance. Similar ssp. Bismark Hawk-owl (N.variegata) is similar but larger and no obvious eyebrows. Voice: A rapidly repeated monosyllabic “whoo”, typically starting low then rising in pitch, becoming faster and louder.
| wingspan min.: | 0 | cm | wingspan max.: | 0 | cm |
| size min.: | 21 | cm | size max.: | 23 | cm |
| incubation min.: | 0 | days | incubation max.: | 0 | days |
| fledging min.: | 0 | days | fledging max.: | 0 | days |
| broods: | 0 | eggs min.: | 0 | ||
| eggs max.: | 0 |
Range
Australasia : Bismarck Archipelago
Habitat
It inhabits lowland rainforest up to 1200 m. It is thought to tolerate some degree of habitat degradation.
Reproduction
No data
Feeding habits
It feeds mainly on insects and small mammals
Conservation
This species has been uplisted to Vulnerable because remote-sensing data indicate that there has been a dramatic loss of lowland forest accross its range and and that it is therefore likely to be undergoing a rapid population decline.
Ninox odiosa is endemic to the island of New Britain Papua New Guinea where although it is rather poorly known, it appears to be not uncommon in suitable habitat. It is suspected to have declined rapidly in recent years owing to ongoing clearance of lowland forest
Ninox odiosa is endemic to the island of New Britain Papua New Guinea where although it is rather poorly known, it appears to be not uncommon in suitable habitat. It is suspected to have declined rapidly in recent years owing to ongoing clearance of lowland forest
Migration
Presumed sedentary
Distribution map
