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nA .Y t ,r r ~ . ~~t: r ` J ~ ,:b ~t + t - KL~ 1 .F ~ :.1 jjs t d' • 'd ; ~ Asio flammeus sandwichensis Common name: Hawaiian short-eared owl, pueo State status: Listed endangered on Oahu only Heritage global rank: G5T3 Description: Amoderate-sized owl, 13 to 17 inches (33 to 43 centimeters} long, body markings brown and white, streaked with white and darker brown, eyes yellow within a dark mask. The legs are feathered down to the toes. Thesexes are similar, although females are slightly larger. The pueo can be distinguished from the introduced Barn Owl (Tyto albs) by its round and dark face, yellow eyes, and dark bill (Berger 1981, Hawaii Audubon Society 1989). Unlike most owls, the pueo is often active at mid-day. Furthermore, it frequently soars at very high altitudes, which leads some observers to mistake the bird for the `io or Hawaiian hawk (Buteo solitarius) (Berger 1981). The pueo is considered by many ornithologists to be a subspecies of Short-eared Owl endemic to the Hawaiian Islands (Berger 1981, AOU 1983, Scott et al. 1986, Hawaii Audubon Society 1989, Pyle 1992). S. Olson (pers. comm. 1992), how- ever, regards this classification debatable and considers the pueo to be taxonomically indistin- guishable from the mainland Short-earedOwl (which is common). The pueo's relationship with its North American and Asian relatives may require further examination. Distribution: The pueo is endemic to Hawaii, occurring on all the main Hawaiian Islands, but it most common on Kauai, Maui, and HaK~ai`i. Because it is in decline on Oahu, the state govern- mentconsiders O' ahu populations of pueo endangered. The pueo occurs from sea level to 8000 feet (2440 meters) in elevation in areas dominated by both native and alien vegetation, from pastures and grasslands to dry and wet forests. Short-eared owls have also been observed on some of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, but these individuals are probably mainland stragglers of the North American subspecies, Asio flammeus flammeus (Berger 1981, Hawaii Audubon Society 1989). .