The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-11-03
BARN OWLS ARE
INDUSTRIOUS >RATTERs

you speak of the probable usefulness
in the Hawaiian Islands of the "little
ihorned owl, = L should like to add a
few words on the subject.
/ The owl mentioned is one Of the
smaller European species being similar
in size and general habits to our own
screech owl, which ranges widely over
the United States. Like the screech
Fowl, it preys on insects, mice, and small
fbirds more than rats, being too small
to often successfully attack full grown
rats. Moreover, it is migratory, at least
in Europe, and hence not so well adapt.
ed for the Hawaiian Islands as a sed-
entary species.
As is generally known, the short
cared owl, or Puueo, is already domi-
ciled throughout Hawaii, where it used
to be abundant, especially in grassy
lands near the seashore. Unfortunately
the general extension Of cane growing
has greatly restricted its nesting sites,
and many have been peedlessly killed.
so that in recent years the puueo is
much less numerous than formerly.
Moreover, its usefulness in the Islands
as ratter is lessened by the fact that
it hunts chiefly during late afternoon
and early morning, and hence does not
often get a chance to kill rats which,
Sippa tho intro1us+ion of +ba ,,opoooco
have become almost entirely nocturnal
and arboreal. The short cared owl,
however, kills vast numbers of mice
which, indeed, form its chief food, and
also destroys rats, a fact L determined
while in Hilo. The bird therefore is well
worthy of protection, as it does prac-
tieally no harm, except by killing few
birds, and does much good by destroy
ing mice.
There is another owl which would
seem to be peculiarly adapted for ser
vice as a rat catcher IN the Hawaiian
Islands. This is the barn owl, common
in many portions of the United States,
especially in the warmer parts, and par
ticularly numerous in California. 1t
Us large enough to cope with fully
grown rat, being about the size of
crow. 1t nests in hollow trees, in cavi-
ties of banks, in church towers and
barns, or in dove cotes (never modest
ing their cotenants) or similar boxes
put up specially for its use. Hence it
would be easy for sugar planters to
domicile this owl throughout the plan
tations by putting up boxes suitable
for nesting sites. During the day the
barn owl roosts in thick forage, and
in the mango trees it would find ideal
hiding places. 1t adapts itself readily
to the ways of man, and often lives in
the very heart of cities. A pair has
nestled off and on in Washington In one
of the towers of the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition for many years. 1t is very pro-
life, usually laying from five to seven
eggs, occasionally as many. as eleven.
How fond the barn owl is of rodents
viii appear from the fact that unCer
the nest of pair in Washington more
than 40 rodent skulls were found.
chiefly those of mice, rats and shrews.
This owl is active during the hours of
darkness, and thus it would effectively
supplement the work of the mongoose
which, as everybody knows, is abroad
only by daylight. The experiment of
its Introduction in Oahu might easily
be tried. as six or a dozen pairs could
be secured in California whence they
might easily be transported by steamer
to Honolulu, being fed on rats or mice
during the short trip over, and then
released to forage for them
selves.
No time could be more opportune for
the introduction of an effective rat
catcher into Hawaii than the present,
when the attention of the whole world
is being directed to the enormous losses
of merchandise and food products in
fieted by the pestiferous rat and to the
still more important fact that it is the
active dissemination of the plague and
other diseases. Skill and ingenuity
are everywhere being taxed to reduce
the numbers of this rodent and where,
as in the mild climate of Hawaii, rats
are so largely frequenters of the fields |
and forests, the aid of so active an |
enemy of the rat as the barn owl is |
well worth enlisting From the eco
nomic standpoint it would be difficult |
indeed to select for the Islands a more
useful bird than the barn owl.
H. w. HENSHAW. |
Biological Survey, Washington, d. c.,
October 81. 1908.