Northern boobook owl completes 1,800 km nonstop flight from Japan to Philippines

A research team including Tohoku University has used GPS tracking to reveal that the northern boobook, a small owl species, performs significant nonstop migratory flights. One tracked male bird flew 1,848 kilometers from Cape Sata in southwestern Japan to the Philippine island of Luzon in a single 36-hour trip over the sea.

The study detailed a complex migratory route: after reaching the Philippines, the owl spent approximately four months on the Indonesian island of Kalimantan during the winter. In late March 2025, it traveled 1,500 kilometers to Hainan, China, before flying north over the continent and returning to Sendai, Japan, in late April.

Researcher Yawara Takeda noted that these findings challenge the common perception that owls are sedentary. Identifying these specific migratory routes and resting locations is considered vital for the preservation of the species.