Ochre-bellied Boobook

The ochre-bellied boobook is a 25–29 cm Sulawesi owl with a dark purplish-brown head and mantle. Pale spots may show along the leading edge of the folded wing and on the scapulars. The underparts range from pale cinnamon to rich rufous-brown and contrast strongly with the upperparts; the eyes and legs are yellow, and the pale horn-coloured bill is crossed by whitish facial markings (Handbook of the Birds of the World account).

This monotypic species is endemic to Sulawesi and nearby Buntung Island. It inhabits primary and tall secondary lowland forest, including riverine forest, from low elevations to roughly 1,000 m. Species-level dietary evidence is limited, although insects have been proposed as part of its food. A comparative study found unusually low feather-barb density for an owl, a structural feature relevant to research on quiet flight (BirdForum/HBW; Le Piane 2021).