Food
Invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, but mostly small birds.
Voice
Two syllable territorial hoot, 'boo-book, mo-poke', or 'more-pork', the second note lower pitched than the first, given by both sexes, through a closed bill, from a perch. Also low trilling calls in contact and screams in alarm. Immatures beg with whistling cricket-like trill.
Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) [XC526699]
by nick talbot from Okarito, Westland District, West Coast, New Zealand (call)
Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) [XC671231]
by Nathan El from North West Bay, Marlborough District, Marlborough, New Zealand (call)
Nest
In a hollow limb or hole in a tree.
Eggs (Guide)
2 - 4 sometimes 4; plain white; spherical; about 40 - 45 x 35 mm. Incubation: 26 - 33 days; by female which begins with laying of first egg. Eggs are laid at two - three nightly intervals.
Young
Semi-altricial, nidicolous. Fledge in 5 - 6 weeks. Fed by both parents and then, maybe also, by additional helpers.
Subspecies
Sometimes considered to form superspecies with Sumba Boobook (Ninox rudolfi) and Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook). There are various other proposed treatments, e.g. as member of species-group that includes Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook), Moluccan Hawk-Owl (Ninox squamipila), Jungle Hawk-Owl (Ninox theomacha), Manus Boobook (Ninox meeki), Bismarck Boobook (Ninox variegata) and perhaps other boobooks in Australasian Region; more research needed. Often considered to include Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook) as subspecies, but Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook) separated specifically by morphological and molecular differences. Subspecies leucopsis formerly placed with Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook), but recently included with present species on basis of molecular affinities and possibly specifically distinct from both. Birds of North I formerly separated as subspecies venatica, but differences minimal and possibly not consistent. Subspecies albaria from Lord Howe I extinct.
Some consider species found in Australia to be the species Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook).
Morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) and Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook) have been lumped into Ninox novaeseelandiae following Christidis and Boles (1994).
The following 14 subspecies are recognised:
novaeseelandiae (Gmelin, 1788) - New Zealand, including most offshore islands.
undulata (Latham, 1801) - Norfolk Island.
albaria! Ramsay, EP, 1888 - Lord Howe Island. Extinct.
rotiensis Johnstone & Darnell, 1997 - Roti. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Rote Boobook (Ninox rotiensis).
fusca (Vieillot, 1817) - Timor. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Timor Boobook (Ninox fusca). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook).
plesseni Stresemann, 1929 - Alor. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Alor Boobook (Ninox plesseni). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook).
moae Mayr, 1943 - Romang, Leti and Moa. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook).
cinnamomina Hartert, E, 1906 - Babar. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook).
remigialis Stresemann, 1930 - Kai Is. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook).
pusilla Mayr & Rand, 1935 - Southern New Guinea. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook).
ocellata (Bonaparte, 1850) - Australia west of Great Dividing Range; rarely, islands in Torres Strait. Also Sawu (west of Timor). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook).
boobook (Latham, 1801) - Coastal and subcoastal eastern Australia, south from southern Queensland. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook).
lurida De Vis, 1887 - North-eastern Queensland between Cooktown and Paluma. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook).
leucopsis (Gould, 1838) - Tasmania and Bass Strait islands. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Tasmanian Boobook (Ninox leucopsis).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet