Christmas boobook species are on-going. Christmas boobook The Christmas boobook ("Ninox natalis"), also known more specifically as the Christmas Island hawk-owl, is a species of owl in the family Strigidae. Closely related to the hawk owls of Southeast Asia and Australia. "N. natalis" was first classified at species level by J.J.Lister in 1888. It was not until 1998 however that DNA testing confirmed its status as a separate species from other owls. "N. natalis" is endemic to Christmas Island, a small Australian territory of about 135 square km situated in the Indian Ocean approximately 360 km south of Java. The flora and
Morepork single species. Examining both morphological and genetic (cytochrome "b") characters, Michael Wink and colleagues concluded that the southern boobook was distinct from the morepork, as was the Tasmanian boobook, which should be raised to species status as "Ninox leucopsis". Four subspecies of "Ninox novaeseelandiae" are recognised by the IOC, two of which are extinct: The morepork is long, with female slightly larger than the male. She is slightly heavier, too, at 170-216 g compared with the male's 140-156 g. The morepork has generally dark brown head and upperparts, with pale brown spots on head and neck and white markings on