> Hi Ken and others
> Christidis and Boles (1994) considers all Australian and NZ races of the
> Boobook Owl to belong to the one species, Ninox novaeseelandiae, but
> suggests a major revision is needed. However Schodde and Mason (1997)
> maintained Australian Boobooks (N. boobook) and NZ Boobooks (N.
> novaeseelandiae) as separate species as they have done in the past
> (Schoode and Mason 1980). Three races occurring in Australia or its
> territories, the Tasmanian race luecopsis, the Lord Howe Island race
> albaria (extinct) and the Norfolk Island race undulata have recently been
> shown to be genetically (and structurally?) more closely allied to the
> small forest dwelling NZ Boobook than the nominate Australian Boobook ( I
> think in Norman, Olsen & Christidis 1998?). It then follows that if one
> argues for a taxonomic arrangement that sees both N. boobook and N.
> novaeseelandiae regarded as full species (as Schodde and Mason do) then
> the Tasmanian Boobook would be recognised as N. novaeseelandiae luecopsis
> while the nominate Australian Boobook would be N. boobook boobook much as
> Schodde and Mason (1997) have done.
>
> Yes a number of publications have suggested the Tasmanian Boobook may be a
> separate species (N. luecopsis) but as far as I'm aware no published work
> has provided sufficient evidence to support this case. In contrast Les
> Christidis' work suggests they are all one and the same species. I await
> the publication of these more recent findings with interest.
>
> The take home message seems to be Boobook Owl taxonomy still requires (or
> is in the process of) a major revision and as such birders should continue
> to make an effort to identify Boobook Owls to recognizable forms whenever
> possible.
>
> Rohan
>
>
> Rohan Clarke
> Field Officer
> Black-eared Miner Recovery Team
> Department of Zoology
> La Trobe University
> Bundoora Vic. 3083
> Tel 03 9479 1672
> Fax 03 94791551
> Email
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ken Tucker [SMTP:
> Subject: birding-aus HBW and Tasmanian owls
>
> I was today looking through a friend's Handbook of the Birds of the World
> and was intrigued at their classification of Southern Boobook on Tassie.
> The Ninox on Tasmania is referred to as a race of the NZ Morepork with a
> comment that it
> may even be a full species separate from both Morepork and Southern
> Boobook.
> This thinking is at odds with my only reference (Pizzey & Knight) which
> calls the birds on Tassie Southern Boobooks. Is the HBW's view of things
> now
> the accepted view? What does HANZAB say? Would anybody in the know care to
> comment?
>
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