Species Ninox (Ninox) leucopsis (Gould, 1838)
- Athene leucopsis Gould, J. 1838. In Proceedings of meeting of Zoological Society of London, Oct. 10, 1837. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1837: 96-100 [published Apr. 1838, publication dated as 1837-1838 Zimmer, J.T. 1926. Catalogue of the Edward E. Ayer Ornithological Library. Field Museum of Natural History Publications, Zoological Series 16: 1–364 (Pt 1, Publ. 239), 365–706 (Pt 2, Publ. 240)] [99] [misinterpreted as nom. nud. and as unidentifiable or referable to Strix cyclops Gould, 1837 (=Tyto novaehollandiae (Stephens, 1826), q.v.) by Mathews, G.M. 1912. Additional notes. Austral Avian Records 1: 127–128; Mathews, G.M. 1916. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 5 pt 4 pp. 353–440 + xi pls 267–274 [30 Aug. 1916] (384); and Mathews, G.M. 1941. Nomenclatural matters. Emu 40: 425–426; see Mees, G.F. 1961. An annotated catalogue of a collection of bird-skins from West Pilbara, Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 44: 97–143; first correctly applied to this species by Peters, J.L. 1940. Check-list of Birds of the World. Cambridge : Harvard University Press Vol. 4 xii 291 pp. (140); type material not traced by Stone, W. in Stone, W. & Mathews, G.M. 1913. A list of the species of Australian birds described by John Gould, with the location of the type-specimens. Austral Avian Records 1: 129–180 nor Meyer de Schauensee, R. 1957. On some avian types, principally Gould's, in the collection of the Academy. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 109: 123–246].
Type data:
Holotype whereabouts unknown (?lost, ex J. Gould coll., now dispersed), Tasmania (as Van Diemen's Land). - Noctua maculata Vigors, N.A. & Horsfield, T. 1827. A description of the Australian birds in the collection of the Linnean Society; with an attempt at arranging them according to their natural affinities. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 15: 170-331 [Date published 17 Feb 1827: publication dated 1826] [189] [junior homonym; junior secondary homonym of Ninox by Strix maculata Kerr, 1792 (=Ninox novaeseelandiae (Gmelin, 1788)); based on 'several specimens', probably from Tasmania where George Caley, who provided much of the material for Vigors and Horsfield's descriptions of Australian birds, collected—but locality uncertain because the Tasmanian subspecies may disperse north as far as Sydney region in winter, from where Vigors and Horsfield also had material, cf. Mathews, G.M. 1912. A Reference-List to the Birds of Australia. Novitates Zoologicae 18: 171–455 [publication dated Jan. 1912, published 31 Jan.] (254); Peters, J.L. 1940. Check-list of Birds of the World. Cambridge : Harvard University Press Vol. 4 xii 291 pp. (140)].
Type data:
Syntype(s) BMNH 1863.7.7.8 adult ♂, New Holland (= south-east Australia) (published without precise locality); BMNH no. unspecified probably ♀ (ex Linnean Society of London coll.), New Holland (= south-east Australia) (published without precise locality)
Comment: for identification of two syntypes in BMNH, see Sharpe, R.B. 1875. Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum. Catalogue of the Striges, or Nocturnal Birds of Prey. London : British Museum Vol. 2 xi 325 pp. XIV pls (175); Warren, R.L.M. 1966. Type-specimens of Birds in the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. 1 Non-Passerines. London : British Museum ix 320 pp. - Spiloglaux boobook clelandi Mathews, G.M. 1913. New species and subspecies of Australian birds. Austral Avian Records 2: 73-79 [published Dec.] [74] [holotype figured on pl. 263 and described in detail on p. 313 in Mathews, G.M. 1916. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 5 pt 3 pp. 249–352 pls 255–266 [23 May 1916 Mathews, G.M. 1925. The Birds of Australia. Supplements 4 & 5. Bibliography of the Birds of Australia Pts 1 & 2. London : H.F. & G. Witherby viii 149 pp.]].
Type data:
Holotype AMNH 630524 ♂ (G.M. Mathews' coll. no. unspecified), Flinders Is., Bass Strait
Comment: for identification of holotype, see Greenway, J.C. 1978. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Pt 2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 161: 1–306. - Spiloglaux boobook leachi Mathews, G.M. 1913. New species and subspecies of Australian birds. Austral Avian Records 2: 73-79 [published Dec.] [74].
Type data:
Holotype AMNH 630435 ♂ (G.M. Mathews' coll. no. unspecified), near Melbourne, VIC (as Victoria)
Comment: for identity, identification and locality of holotype, see, Mees, G.F. 1964. A revision of the Australian owls (Strigidae and Tytonidae). Zoologische Verhandelingen 65: 1–62 (27); Greenway, J.C. 1978. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Pt 2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 161: 1–306; cf. Mathews, G.M. 1916. The Birds of Australia. London : Witherby & Co. Vol. 5 pt 3 pp. 249–352 pls 255–266 [23 May 1916 Mathews, G.M. 1925. The Birds of Australia. Supplements 4 & 5. Bibliography of the Birds of Australia Pts 1 & 2. London : H.F. & G. Witherby viii 149 pp.] (326). - Spiloglaux novaeseelandiae tasmanica Mathews, G.M. 1917. New subspecies and notes on species. Austral Avian Records 3(4): 69-78 [Date published 21 Jul 1917] [70] [reference misquoted as vol. 5 of Austral Avian Rec. by Mees, G.F. 1961. An annotated catalogue of a collection of bird-skins from West Pilbara, Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 44: 97–143; Mees, G.F. 1964. A revision of the Australian owls (Strigidae and Tytonidae). Zoologische Verhandelingen 65: 1–62; Condon, H.T. 1975. Checklist of the Birds of Australia Pt 1 Non-passerines. Melbourne : Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union xx 311 pp.; Schodde, R. & Mason, I.J. 1981. Nocturnal Birds of Australia. Illustrated by Jeremy Boot. Melbourne : Lansdowne Edns 136 pp. 22 pls [publication dated as 1980]].
Type data:
Holotype AMNH 630525 ♂? (G.M. Mathews' coll. no. unspecified), Busby Park, TAS (as Tasmania)
Comment: for identification of holotype and type locality, see Greenway, J.C. 1978. Type specimens of birds in the American Museum of Natural History. Pt 2. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 161: 1–306.
Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy
- Schodde, R. & Mason, I.J. 1981. Nocturnal Birds of Australia. Illustrated by Jeremy Boot. Melbourne : Lansdowne Edns 136 pp. 22 pls. [publication dated as 1980] [54-58]
Generic Combinations
- Ninox leucopsis (Gould, 1838). —
König, C. & Weick, F 2008. Owls of the World. London : Christopher Helm Second, pp. 528. - Ninox novaeseelandiae leucopsis (Gould, 1838). —
Higgins, P.J. (ed.) 1999. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Parrots to Dollarbird. Melbourne : Oxford University Press Vol. 4. [852]
Introduction
Variously treated as a valid species (König & Weick 2008; Dickinson & Remsen 2013) or a subspecies of N. novaeseelandiae (Dickinson, 2003; Clements, 2007), now treated at the species level based on results of morphological, vocal and molecular analysis in Gwee et al. (2017).
Distribution
States
Tasmania, Victoria
Extra Distribution Information
All TAS, Maria Is. and islands in Bass Strait (King and Furneaux group), also adjacent south-east mainland of Australia on winter migration.
Australian Endemic.
IBRA
Tas, Vic: Ben Lomond (BEL), Flinders (FLI), King (KIN), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian Northern Slopes (TNS), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Tasmanian West (TWE)
Distribution References
- Menkhorst, P., Rogers, D., Clarke, R., Davies, J., Marsack, P. & Franklin, K. 2019. The Australian Bird Guide. Clayton South, VIC : CSIRO Publishing 2nd, pp. 576. [246] (as Ninox novaeseelandiae leucopsis)
Ecological Descriptors
Arboreal, arthropod-feeder, carnivorous, low woodland, migratory, nocturnal, open forest, predator, sedentary, tall forest, territorial, territorial, volant, woodland.
Extra Ecological Information
Territorial ?only when breeding, randomly dispersed, seasonal breeder, general carnivore, in eucalypt forest, woodland and heath, roosts arboreally by day usually among dense branches, hunts by night in perch-and-pounce sallies, nests on beds of decayed wood prepared by male in hollows, female alone broods, disperses after breeding.
General References
Gwee, C.Y., Christidis, L., Eaton, J.A., Norman, J.A., Trainor, C.R., Verbelen, P. & Rheindt, F.E. 2017. Bioacoustic and multi-locus DNA data of Ninox owls support high incidence of extinction and recolonisation on small, low-lying islands across Wallacea. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 109: 246-258
König, C. & Weick, F 2008. Owls of the World. London : Christopher Helm Second, pp. 528.
Mees, G.F. 1964. A revision of the Australian owls (Strigidae and Tytonidae). Zoologische Verhandelingen (Leiden) 65: 1-62 (movements, taxonomy)