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Feeding habits: Pueo feed primarily on introduced rodents such as the housemouse (Mus muscu- <br /> lus) and the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans) (Berger 1981, Scott et al. 1986). Before humans <br /> introduced rodents to Hawai `i, it is possible that the pueo fed on the now extinct flightless Hawai- <br /> ian rail (Porzana sandwichensis) and other birds. <br /> Reproductive biology: Pueo build their nests on the ground, usually in grass. Three to six white <br /> eggs are laid. Little is known about the pueo's breeding biology. Nests containing young have <br /> been observed in March, May, and November (Berger 1981). Pueo begin incubating when the <br /> first egg is laid. Subsequently, eggs usually hatch in the order they were laid, creating a marked <br /> difference in the size of the nestlings. <br /> Conservation concerns: The total number of pueo has not been estimated. Because pueo nest on <br /> the ground, the young are vulnerable to predation by feral cats and mongooses. Human-related <br /> mortalities (e.g., shooting) and other human disturbances to habitat seem to be the predominant <br /> <br /> reasons for the apparent decline of the bird. The pueo is a category 2 candidate for endangered or <br /> <br /> threatened status. It is also listed as endangered on the island of Oahu by the Hawaii Division of <br /> <br /> Forestry and Wildlife (DLNR 1990). Therefore, the Oahu pueo population is protected under <br /> state law (H.R.S. 195-D). <br /> f <br /> - <br /> :r - ~ <br /> ~~x ~x' <br /> ~ r <br /> t, <br /> fi <br /> (y{ $R~ <br /> ~w <br /> <br />