The magnificent pueo. Photo by Forest and Kim Starr.
Look at the beauty of this animal: unusually large and forward-facing eyes framed by a facial disc of feathers, a regal bearing, and sharp talons and beak. No wonder it inspires respect. References to the pueo are found throughout Hawaiian mythology. It is known as a kinolau: a physical manifestation of an 'aumakua, or guardian spirit, and is considered to be one that provides protection and guidance.
Hawaii is home to two species of owls: the barn owl, Tyto alba pratincola, and the endemic pueo, Asio flammeus sandwichensi. The barn owl was actually introduced to Hawaii in the late 1950's to early 1960's in an effort to control rodents in agricultural areas. It is the more common of the two owls, and larger in size. They are also lighter in coloring, and are most active at twilight and through the evening. The less common pueo, by contrast, is unusual among owls as it tends to be more active during the day. Its darker coat is streaky and it is a smaller owl, getting to be around 15 inches with the females somewhat larger than the males. The pueo is thought to have first arrived in the islands shortly after they were settled by the Polynesians who probably brought with them the Pacific rat, Rattus exulans, a food source for the pueo.
Hawaii is home to two species of owls: the barn owl, Tyto alba pratincola, and the endemic pueo, Asio flammeus sandwichensi. The barn owl was actually introduced to Hawaii in the late 1950's to early 1960's in an effort to control rodents in agricultural areas. It is the more common of the two owls, and larger in size. They are also lighter in coloring, and are most active at twilight and through the evening. The less common pueo, by contrast, is unusual among owls as it tends to be more active during the day. Its darker coat is streaky and it is a smaller owl, getting to be around 15 inches with the females somewhat larger than the males. The pueo is thought to have first arrived in the islands shortly after they were settled by the Polynesians who probably brought with them the Pacific rat, Rattus exulans, a food source for the pueo.
 The barn owl is lighter in color and not streaky like the pueo. By Bill Bouton from San Luis Obispo, CA, USA (Barn Owl, Tyto alba) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |  The pueo is a subspecies of the short-eared owl. Photo from the Bishop Museum. |
Pueo are found throughout the MHI, though there is much that remains unknown about this noble raptor. Grasslands, parklands, and other open habitat are common haunts. They have remarkable long distance vision, and may be observed hovering over their prey before swooping down for the kill. Like all birds, their eyes are fixed in their sockets, thus they must turn their heads to see in a different direction. With fourteen neck vertebrate instead of seven (as in humans), they can accomplish an amazing degree of head rotation - that characteristic owl motion. Breeding seems to occur year-round, with pueo females constructing a nest on the ground by making a simple shallow lined with grasses and feathers. The duties of the male include protecting the nest and keeping the females nourished. As the incubation of the eggs happens before the laying of the last egg of the clutch, the chicks hatch over a period of time; this is known as asynchronous hatching. Nesting on the ground makes the pueo vulnerable to predation from rats, mongooses, and feral cats. These and other factors such as loss of habitat have led to the pueo being declared an endangered species on Oahu. But on a positive note, the pueo may have resistance to the avian malaria and avian pox.
RSS Feed
