Brown Boobook
Brown BoobookBrown BoobookBrown BoobookBrown Boobook

Brown Boobook

Ninox scutulata

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Sepilok
120 Verified sightings at Sepilok From 2019 to 2026
3,209 Verified sightings across all 36 parks From 2019 to 2026
March Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted at dawn and dusk

About the Brown Boobook

The brown boobook (Ninox scutulata), also known as the brown hawk-owl, is a typical owl species. It has dark brown upperparts, whitish underparts with reddish-brown streaking, and a barred tail. It is a resident breeder in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, southern China and western Indonesia.

The brown boobook was formally described in 1822 by Stamford Raffles from a specimen collected in Sumatra under the binomial name Strix scutulata. The specific epithet is from Latin scutulatus meaning "diamond-shaped". The brown boobook is now placed with the other boobooks in the genus Ninox that was introduced by Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1837.

Nine subspecies are recognised: N. s. scutulata (Raffles, 1822) in the Malay Peninsula, Riau Archipelago, Sumatra and Bangka Island N. s. hirsuta (Temminck, 1824) in south India and Sri Lanka N. s. lugubris (Tickell, 1833) in north, northeast, central India and Nepal

N. s. borneensis (Bonaparte, 1850) in Borneo and north Natuna Islands N. s. burmanica Hume, 1876in northeast India to south China, Indochina and Thailand N. s. isolata Baker, ECS, 1926 in Car Nicobar N. s. javanensis Stresemann, 1928 in west Java

N. s. palawanensis... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Sepilok

Sunda Scops-Owl
LC

Sunda Scops-Owl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Otus lempiji

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Reddish Scops-Owl
NT

Reddish Scops-Owl

🌙 Nocturnal Bird

Otus rufescens

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Brown Wood Owl
LC

Brown Wood Owl

☀️🌙 Day & Night Bird

Strix leptogrammica

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Buffy Fish-Owl
LC

Buffy Fish-Owl

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Ketupa ketupu

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Oriental Bay-Owl
LC

Oriental Bay-Owl

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phodilus badius

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~30%
2 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
3 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
4 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
5 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
6 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
7 Namdapha National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
8 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~10%
9 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
10 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
11 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
<5%
12 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
13 Jim Corbett National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
14 Taman Negara National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
15 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
16 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
17 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
18 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
19 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
20 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
21 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
22 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
23 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
24 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
25 Bako National Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
Insufficient data
26 Khangchendzonga National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
27 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
28 Gunung Leuser National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
29 Mudumalai National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
30 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
31 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
32 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
33 Kerinci Seblat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
34 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data
35 Kinabalu Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia
Insufficient data
36 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Brown Boobook in Sepilok?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Boobook sighting in Sepilok, based on 120 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Brown Boobook in Sepilok?

March has the highest sighting rate for Brown Boobook in Sepilok in our monthly data.

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