Pueo Owl  (Hawaiian Short Eared Owl)

A Report by Owen Mozen

Picture by Owen- Pencil and Paper

The Pueo Owl is endemic to Hawaii.  You may see them flying day or nite They are most active at dawn and dusk.  the Pueo Owl is relatively short.  It grows to 14 to 16 inches tall.  Females are larger than males.  They nest on the ground, which makes their eggs vulnerable to mongooses.  They raise their young at many stages.  Their young don’t all hatch at the same time, so when one might be fledging, one might be hatching. The Pueo Owl’s main hunting tools are his talons, which are vary powerful and sharp.  Like most owls, the Pueo owl has excellent hearing. This is partially because of the funnels created by the head feathers, which channel the sound into the ear canals.  The Pueo Owl’s ears ear are located at an angle.  One ear is located below the eye, and one ear is located above the other eye.  Being asymetrical, it helps them hear the depth of what they are listening to.  

The tips of the owl’s wing feathers are rough to prevent them from flopping around as a duck’s or a puffin’s would;  and makes it silent when the owl flies. It lives at sea level to 6,000 ft above

The Puaeo Owl used to eat a flightless bird called the Hawaiian Rail which is now extinct. Today they eat rats, mice, and small mongooses. 

The Pueo Owl is sacred and important in many Hawaiian myths and legends.