Laughing Owl

Open encyclopedia reference

The laughing owl (Ninox albifacies), also known as whēkau, laughing jackass, or white-faced owl, is an extinct species of owl that was endemic to New Zealand. It was widespread when European settlers arrived, and its scientific description was published in 1845. The species declined rapidly there after and was largely or completely extinct by 1914. The laughing owl was classified in the monotypic genus Sceloglaux by Johann Jakob Kaup in 1848, a name meaning "scoundrel owl" that may have referred to its unusual, mischievous-sounding calls. Genetic studies have subsequently indicated that it is more closely related to the boobook owls of the genus Ninox.

Wikipedia contributors, Laughing owl; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T02:54:54.111435+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Ninox albifacies (G. R. Gray, 1844)

Name authority

(G. R. Gray, 1844)

Common name

Laughing Owl

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Aves

Order

Strigiformes

Family

Strigidae

Genus

Ninox

Extinction status

Recorded extinct

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classAves
9. orderStrigiformes
10. familyStrigidae
11. subfamilyNinoxinae
12. genusNinox Hodgson, 1837
13. speciesNinox albifacies (G. R. Gray, 1844)

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Ninox. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 196 records assigned to Strigidae.

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

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.

1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1244673 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:CP56S. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.