Ninox is a genus of owls comprising about 20 species found in Asia and Australasia. Many species are known as hawk owls or boobooks. Note that the Northern Hawk-Owl Surnia ulula is not a member of this genus.

The species of Ninox are:

• Rufous Owl, Ninox rufa
• Powerful Owl, Ninox strenua
• Barking Owl, Ninox connivens
• Sumba Boobook, Ninox rudolfi
• Little Sumba Boobook, Ninox sumbaensis
• Southern Boobook, Ninox novaeseelandiae
  • Morepork, Ninox (novaeseelandiae) novaeseelandiae
  • Norfolk Boobook, Ninox novaeseelandiae undulata - extinct (1996)
  • Southern Boobook, Ninox (novaeseelandiae) boobook
  • Lord Howe Island Morepork, Ninox novaeseelandiae/boobook albaria - extinct (1950s)
• New Caledonian Boobook, Ninox cf. novaeseelandiae - prehistoric, might still survive
• Andaman Hawk-Owl, Ninox affinis
• Brown Hawk-Owl, Ninox scutulata
• Northern Boobook, Ninox japonica
  • Split from Ninox scutulata by the IOC.^[1] Split supported by Clements' 6th Edition.
• Chocolate Boobook, Ninox randi
  • Split from Ninox scutulata by the IOC^[2] Split supported by Clements' 6th Edition.
• White-browed Hawk-Owl, Ninox superciliaris
• Philippine Hawk-Owl, Ninox philippensis
• Ochre-bellied Boobook, Ninox ochracea
• Cinnabar Boobook, Ninox ios
• Moluccan Hawk-Owl, Ninox squamipila
• Christmas Boobook, Ninox natalis
• Papuan Boobook, Ninox theomacha
• Manus Boobook, Ninox meeki
• Speckled Boobook, Ninox punctulata
• New Ireland Boobook, Ninox variegata
• New Britain Boobook, Ninox odiosa
• Solomons Boobook, Ninox jacquinoti
• Togian Boobook, Ninox burhani

The fossil owls "Otus wintershofensis and "Strix" brevis, both from the Early or Middle Miocene of Wintershof West, Germany, are close to this genus; the latter was sometimes explicitly placed in Ninox (Olson 1985) but is now in Intutula. "Strix edwardsi from the Late Miocene of La Grive St. Alban, France, might also belong into this group^{[citation needed]}.

Moluccan Hawk-Owl (N. squamipila) (left); Timor Boobook (N. boobook fusca) (right)

In Human Culture

• "NINOX" is an Australian Army project to develop night vision goggles; it is named after Ninox strenua.

References

• Olson, Storrs L. (1985): IX.C. Strigiformes. In: Farner, D.S.; King, J.R. & Parkes, Kenneth C. (eds.): Avian Biology 8: 129-132. Academic Press, New York.

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