NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Tasmanian Boobook
Ninox leucopsis (Gould, 1838)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
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), phylogenetic studies have affirmed its status as a distinct species by analyzing genetic and morphologic characteristics. It was reclassified as distinct by the International Ornithological Congress in 2022.
It is widespread in Tasmania and on King Island and other islands of Bass Strait. It has been recorded in southern Victoria, once from New South Wales, and once from Lord Howe Island. It predominantly occurs in eucalypt forests.
It is carnivorous, and a nest predator.
The Tasmanian boobook is sexually dimorphic, with males typically being smaller than females.
Wikipedia contributors, Tasmanian boobook; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:36:41.815140+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Ninox leucopsis (Gould, 1838)
- Name authority
- (Gould, 1838)
- Common name
- Tasmanian Boobook
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Ninox
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderStrigiformes
- familyStrigidae
- subfamilyNinoxinae
- genusNinox Hodgson, 1837
- speciesNinox leucopsis (Gould, 1838)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Ninox. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Andaman BoobookNinox affinis Beavan, 1867 | StrigidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Australian BoobookNinox boobook (Latham, 1801) | StrigidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Togian BoobookNinox burhani Indrawan & Somadikarta, 2004 | StrigidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Barking BoobookNinox connivens (Latham, 1801) | StrigidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Cinnabar BoobookNinox ios Rasmussen, 1999 | StrigidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mindoro BoobookNinox mindorensis Ogilvie-Grant, 1896 | StrigidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Christmas BoobookNinox natalis Lister, 1889 | StrigidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Hume's BoobookNinox obscura Hume, 1872 | StrigidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| New Britain BoobookNinox odiosa P. L. Sclater, 1877 | StrigidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Speckled BoobookNinox punctulata (Quoy & Gaimard, 1832) | StrigidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Chocolate BoobookNinox randi Deignan, 1951 | StrigidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sulu BoobookNinox reyi Oustalet, 1880 | StrigidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Ninox novaeseelandiae leucopsis (Gould, 1838) (Gould, 1838) | synonym |
| Athene leucopsis Gould, 1838 Gould, 1838 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1244677 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:CP56Q. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.