Pueo

This taxon was first named by Andrew Bloxam (as the species Strix sandwichensis). He saw it, although did not collect a specimen, while in the Hawaiian Islands in 1825 as the naturalist on board HMS Blonde. It is now considered to be a subspecies of the short-eared owl, Asio flammeus, although Storrs Olson does not consider it to be distinct from Asio flammeus flammeus.[2]

Pueo inhabit forests and grasslands throughout Hawaii, although their numbers seem to be declining, particularly in the last two decades, and especially on the island of Oʻahu, upon which they were at one time numerous. Pueo is listed by the state of Hawaii as an endangered species on the island of Oʻahu.[3]

The pueo is recognized as an endemic subspecies by the state of Hawaii.[4] However, its presence in Hawaii is the result of prehistoric human intervention and not local natural evolution alone, blurring the concept of a native species. The pueo is thought to have colonized Hawaii after the arrival of the Polynesians. Like short-eared owls in continental environments, pueo primarily consume small mammals. The relatively recent establishment of pueo in Hawaii might be tied to the Polynesian rats (Rattus exulans) brought to the islands by humans.[4] The only native land mammals in Hawaii are two species of bat (the Hawaiian hoary bat[5] and the extinct Synemporion keana[6]).

Seven raptor species occurred in pre-human Hawaii: the Hawaiian hawk, the wood harrier, the white-tailed eagle (or a very close relative),[7] and four species of stilt-owls.

Pueo nest on the ground, which makes their eggs and young susceptible to predation by the introduced small Indian mongoose and other predators.

Pueo are strongly affected by light pollution. They are often killed in vehicular accidents in which they dive toward the headlights of cars, possibly in an attempt to hunt. Many such collisions have been reported on Interstate H-3 and other newly built roadways in areas which once held high populations of pueo.

Pueo appear to be somewhat resistant to the avian malaria that has devastated many other endemic bird populations in Hawaii;[3][8] however, they have recently become victim to an unknown mysterious "sick owl syndrome", or SOS, in which large numbers of pueo have been found walking dazedly on roads, leading to death by collision. The cause of sick owl syndrome is unknown; it is suspected that pesticide toxicity may be responsible, particularly through secondary rodenticide poisoning. However, it has also been hypothesized that the cause may be an infectious agent, seizure-like confusion due to light pollution, or a variety of other causes.

• More information with sounds produced by the pueo
• Article on the pueo by Veronica S. Schweitzer