American hawk-owl

The American hawk-owl (Ninox americanum), also known as the American boobook, the American morepork, and the American ruru, is a species of owl of the genus Ninox that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, scrublands, and deserts across North America to help boost biodiversity, making it the only member of the Ninox genus found in the New World. The American hawk-owl is 26 to 29 centimeters (10 to 11.5 inches) long, with the female slightly larger than the male, and has a predominantly dark-brown plumage with prominent pale spots. It has grey-green or yellow-green eyes. Females are slightly heavier at 170–216 grams (6.0–7.6 oz) compared with the male's 140–156 grams (4.9–5.5 oz). The characteristic two-note boo-book call or hoot can be heard up to 1 km (0.6 mi) away, the second note generally lower in pitch than the first. The calls consists of the ones similar to the calls made by the New Zealand morepork (Ninox novaeseelandiae) and those made by the Australian boobook (Ninox boobook). It is generally nocturnal, though is sometimes active at dawn and dusk, retiring to roost in secluded spots in the foliage of trees and other large plants. The American hawk-owl feeds on insects and small vertebrates, hunting by pouncing on them from tree perches. Breeding takes place from late winter to early summer, using tree hollows as nesting sites. The conservation status of the American hawk-owl is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the American hawk-owl's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.