07-01-2006, 08:37 AM
Pam, that's pretty cool to have a mated pair of hawks near you. Have you, by any chance, seen a nest along with this pair?
The brown owl is probably a Pueo, which is the Hawaiian subspecies of Short-eared Owl. Is it brown on the undersides or on the back and wings? It has a low barking call. On the mainland, these owls are considered crepuscular, which is a neat word that means it's active at dusk and dawn (twilight hours). But in the Islands, they are active in daylight (diurnal) and sometimes at night (nocturnal). Is your brown owl active in the daytime?
The white owl is probably a Barn Owl, an introduced species. They're white underneath, but a yellow-brown on the back and wings. Females can be yellow-brown on the undersides, too. Their vocalizations are composed of loud eery hisses, screeches and rapid clicking. They are typically nocturnal.
Birds are one of my passions!
Les
The brown owl is probably a Pueo, which is the Hawaiian subspecies of Short-eared Owl. Is it brown on the undersides or on the back and wings? It has a low barking call. On the mainland, these owls are considered crepuscular, which is a neat word that means it's active at dusk and dawn (twilight hours). But in the Islands, they are active in daylight (diurnal) and sometimes at night (nocturnal). Is your brown owl active in the daytime?
The white owl is probably a Barn Owl, an introduced species. They're white underneath, but a yellow-brown on the back and wings. Females can be yellow-brown on the undersides, too. Their vocalizations are composed of loud eery hisses, screeches and rapid clicking. They are typically nocturnal.
Birds are one of my passions!
Les