Northern boobook flies from Japan to Philippines nonstop, research shows

A study has discovered that a northern boobook, a small owl species, made a nonstop flight of over 1,800 kilometers from Japan to the Philippines, according to researchers from Tohoku University. The owl, measuring about 30 centimeters in body length, typically inhabits various environments in Japan and breeds in urban parks during the summer.

While it is known to winter in Southeast Asia, the specifics of its migratory routes remained unclear. The research team affixed GPS data loggers to four northern boobooks native to Sendai, Japan. Analysis of data from one of the birds, a male, revealed that it embarked on a nonstop 36-hour journey from Cape Sata in Kagoshima Prefecture to the Philippine island of Luzon in early November 2024, covering a distance of 1,848 kilometers.

Following a stay on the Indonesian island of Kalimantan for four months in winter, the owl traveled approximately 1,500 kilometers to Hainan Island in southern China in late March 2025. Subsequently, it retraced its path northward over continental China before returning to Sendai in late April. This discovery challenges the common belief that owls do not move, as it highlights the complex migratory patterns of the northern boobook.

Dr. Yawara Takeda, a researcher at Tohoku University specializing in developmental biology, emphasized the importance of identifying these migratory routes and resting locations for the conservation of the species. The findings were published in the scientific journal Animal Biotelemetry in June.