Typical Owls (Strigidae)

Philippine Hawk-owl (Ninox philippensis) - HBW 5, p. 235

French: Ninoxe des Philippines German: Philippinenkauz Spanish: Nínox Filipino
Other common names: Philippine Boobook (Owl); Mindoro Hawk-owl (mindorensis); Spotted Hawk-owl (spilonota); Mindanao/Tweeddale’s Hawk-owl (spilocephala)

Taxonomy: Ninox philippensis Bonaparte, 1855, Philippines.
Relationships unclear; possibly close to N. ochracea. Subspecific divisions uncertain and confused, and races sometimes combined into three groups based on apparent relationships: philippensis with proxima and centralis; spilocephala with reyi; and spilonota with mindorensis; these groups sometimes treated as three separate species. Other authors merge races as indicated by those groupings, treating only nominate, spilocephala and spilonota as valid, or with mindorensis as additional race; the latter, moreover, has recently been found to be quite distinct in plumage and voice, and may be a full species. Another recent proposal groups mindorensis and spilonota with reyi, despite the fact that latter usually allied with spilocephala; this new grouping of bar-bellied forms, inhabiting a considerable number of smaller islands, would include at least two unnamed races, and may constitute a separate, polytypic species, for which the name reyi has priority. Further research under way. Proposed race everetti of Siasi synonymous with reyi. Seven subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

philippensis Bonaparte, 1855 - Luzon, Polillo, Marinduque, Catanduanes, Samar, Leyte, Buad, and perhaps Biliran.
mindorensis Ogilvie-Grant, 1896 - Mindoro.
spilonota Bourns & Worcester, 1894 - Sibuyan, Tablas, Cebu and Camiguin Sur.

See all 7 subspecies

philippensis Bonaparte, 1855 - Luzon, Polillo, Marinduque, Catanduanes, Samar, Leyte, Buad, and perhaps Biliran.
mindorensis Ogilvie-Grant, 1896 - Mindoro.
spilonota Bourns & Worcester, 1894 - Sibuyan, Tablas, Cebu and Camiguin Sur.
proxima Mayr, 1945 - Masbate, Ticao.
centralis Mayr, 1945 - Panay, Guimaras, Negros, Bohol, Siquijor.
spilocephala Tweeddale, 1879 - Basilan, Mindanao, Dinagat, Siargao.
reyi Oustalet, 1880 - Sulu Archipelago.