Minahasa Masked Owl
Tyto inexspectata
- Family
- Bay Owls and Barn Owls (Tytonidae)
- Order
- Strigiformes
Overview
The Minahasa masked owl (Tyto inexspectata), also known as the Minahasa barn owl, Sulawesi owl or Sulawesi golden owl, is a barn owl endemic to the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The name is derived from the Minahassa Peninsula, where it was first described as a breeding bird; however, it is also known to live in north-central Sulawesi.
The Minahasa masked owl has short wings with a wingspan of 240–250 mm (9.4–9.8 in), well suited to its habitat in deep forests. It appears to prefer undisturbed or lightly disturbed rainforest at altitudes of 100–1,600 m (330–5,250 ft).
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Hill forest of northern and north-central Sulawesi.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Minahasa masked owl
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
