From Hawaii Wildlife Center

Watch out! This burrito bites back. Just a quick checkup for this Pueo (Hawaiian Owl) patient and back to the aviary she goes for quiet time.

I was trying to find what exactly makes the Pueo different from the normal Short Eared Owl, but haven’t come across that. The only interesting things I noticed was it’s scientific name is Asio flammeus sandwichensis, but I also haven’t found where the sandwich part comes from, and I learned about SOS.

So called “sick owl syndrome” is affecting the Pueo, which is typically more hearty than many other local birds species. The cause is not yet determined, but it seems to cause a stumbling behavior. I’ll have to look more into this.

For many Hawaiian families, both ancient and modern, pueo are ‘aumakua, ancestral guardians that protect the family from harm.

The Peuo is unique to Hawaii. Its ancestors came over with the Polynesians. Barn Owls were also introduced to the islands in the 50s and 60s when the local government imported 86 Barn Owls.

The extinct stilt owls also used to live there.

  • anon6789@lemmy.worldOP
    0·
    2 months ago

    At the Puako petroglyph site on the island of Hawaii, this figure on the right is called the Puako Owl. If this identification is correct that means that it is a representation of the Pueo (Asio flammeus sandwichensis), a subspecies of the Short-eared owl that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. The Pueo also represents an ancestor spirit (na’aumakua) in Hawaiian culture.

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