Alan,
By undulata you are implying that this may be the endemic Norfolk Island
Boobook. If this is the case it would truly be remarkable.
Depending on whose taxonomy you follow this is either a subspecies of the NZ
morepork (as distinct from the Oz Boobook), a subspecies of the NZ Morepork
(which also includes the Oz Boobook) or a full species in it's own right.
Whatever it is, officially, in it's pure form this bird is now extinct. The
last female died some years ago. Before she died she produced young with one of
two male (New Zealand) Moreporks N. n. novaeseelandiae that were released on
the island for just that purpose. The owls present on Norfolk island are now
hybrids between these two forms save for the possibility that one of the male
NZ moreporks is still alive (one was still present in early 2002). If the bird
in question is undulata then it (or possibly it's parents or grandparents)
would have had to have been removed from the island sometime before the mid
1980's. My bet is that this is a most unlikely scenario...yet I'd be interested
in seeing the picture all the same.
Cheers
Rohan
Dr Rohan Clarke
Threatened Mallee Bird Project
Zoology Department
La Trobe University
Bundoora 3086
Ph: 03 9479 1672 Mobile 0408 947001
-----Original Message-----
From:
Behalf Of Alan
Gillanders
I have had an inquiry from Europe about a Boobook which was being illegally
traded. The question is how to identify this subspecies from other ssp. I
would also like to know where these birds are found.
I have a photo if some one would like to have a go at ID
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