The Pueo is a Short Eared Owl that is endemic to Hawai'i. The early Hawaiians, arriving on the islands, found the owl already present and considered it sacred as well as a family protector and bringer of good luck. The Pueo appears in many Hawaiian legends and myths.
Unlike the other common Barn Owl, also found in Hawai'i, the Pueo is diurnal, more active during daylight, and nests on the ground. Even though the main diet of the Pueo is mostly rodents and mongoose, the fact that the Pueo is a ground nesting owl means the eggs and young are often raided by rodents and mongoose (rather ironic). Pueo lays between 3 to 6 eggs over a span of several months resulting in babies being born at different times. A nest will often have all ages, baby to adult, in the nest at the same time. Owlets begin to fly at about 6 weeks of age.
