Sulu boobook

Among the species complex, this owl is unique with its call of a series of clucks rather than the typical screeching of the other Philippine hawk-owls in the species complex. It is distinguished by the heavy barring on its head and belly, white throat-patch and facial disk. It is medium-sized at 20 cm tall, along with the Mindoro boobook within Philippine hawk-owl species complex. This is in between the larger Camiguin boobook, Romblon boobook and Cebu boobook at 25 cm and the smaller Luzon boobook and Mindanao boobook, which are 15 to 18 cm tall. == Habitat and conservation status ==

Its habitat is in tropical moist lowland primary and secondary forests up to 700 meters above sea level. It is also occasionally seen on forest edge, clearings and plantations. The IUCN Red List classifies this bird as vulnerable with population estimates of 1,000 to 2,499 mature individuals. This species' main threat is habitat loss with wholesale clearance of forest habitats as a result of legal and illegal logging, mining, conversion into farmlands or palm oil plantations and urbanization. Due to the rapid loss of habitat in the Sulu Archipelago, many of the birds endemic to the region like the Sulu hornbill, Tawitawi brown dove, blue-winged racket-tail and the Sulu pygmy woodpecker are threatened with extinction. There is no species-specific conservation program at present. ==References==