Speckled Boobook

The speckled boobook is a small Sulawesi owl, only about 17–20 cm long. Its reddish-brown head, back and wings are patterned with white spots, while the face forms a dark mask set off by white eyebrows. A white throat patch and dark brown eyes complete the main identification features. It lacks ear tufts. The alternative names speckled hawk-owl and Oriental hawk-owl occur in older or general references, though the latter can be confusing (Wikipedia general account).

This endemic owl occurs mainly below 1,100 m, but records reach approximately 2,300 m. It uses forest near streams as well as open woodland and cultivated country where scattered trees remain, indicating broader habitat use than a closed-forest specialist. The species account opened gave no securely sourced prey list, hunting method, nest site, clutch or incubation period. Those facts remain omitted rather than borrowed from other Ninox owls, whose ecology may differ (Wikipedia general account; Forktail paper on Speckled Boobook biology).