Barking Owl
Ninox connivens
Silhouette: Rachel T Mason · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderStrigiformes (Owls)
- FamilyStrigidae (Typical Owls)
- GenusNinox (Boobooks and Hawk-Owls)
- SpeciesNinox connivens (Barking Owl)
About the Barking Owl
The barking owl (Ninox connivens) or barking boobook, also known as the winking owl, is a nocturnal bird species native to mainland Australia and parts of New Guinea and the Moluccas. They are medium-sized brown owls and have a characteristic voice with calls ranging from a barking dog noise to an intense human-like howl.
The owl takes its name from its characteristic barking voice. For a short period before 2016, the Red List of Threatened Species referred to this species as the "barking boobook". However, this is not used as a common name in Australia or other English speaking areas in this species' range and has now been corrected to barking owl. The Yanyuwa name for the owl is mulurrku.
The barking owl was first described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801 with the binomial name Falco connivens. Latham commented that the species "Inhabits New Holland, but no history annexed, further than that it has a wonderful faculty of contracting and dilating the iris: and that the native name is Goora-a-Gang." The specific epithet is the Latin connivens 'winking'.
There are five subspecies: N. c. rufostrigata (Gray, GR, 1861) - north Maluku Islands... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Barking Owl in Nitmiluk National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Nitmiluk National Park
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Barking Owl in Nitmiluk National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Barking Owl sighting in Nitmiluk National Park, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Barking Owl in Nitmiluk National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Barking Owl in Nitmiluk National Park in our monthly data.