Puerto Rican Owl

The Puerto Rican owl is a small owl possessing a brown upperside, a light-brown to white underside, white brown lines and white eyebrows. Sexual dimorphism is minor in this species with females being slightly larger than males. It is usually 20 centimetres (7.9 in) to 23 centimetres (9.1 in) in length with a wingspan of 154 centimetres (61 in) to 171 centimetres (67 in) for both sexes, and weighs about 103 grams (3.6 oz) to 154 grams (5.4 oz). The species is common in the island of Puerto Rico but is extirpated at the nearby islands of Vieques and Culebra. As with the majority of birds in Puerto Rico it is believed to have been more abundant before the clearing of forests for agricultural development in the early 20th century. It inhabits forests with large hollowed trees such as the Caribbean National Forest. The breeding season spans from April to June. It nests in hollowed trunks and 1 or 2 eggs are deposited in each nest. The main diet of the species consists of large insects such as cockroaches and is complemented with coquí frog, anole lizards, geckos, small rodents, and small birds. The owl will sometimes regurgitate a mass of the undigested parts of its diet which are called pellets. The contents of the pellet include the exoskeletons of insects, indigestible plant matter, bones, fur, feathers, bills, claws, and teeth. The species calls throughout the year while hidden in thick foliage, typically at dawn. The species makes a loud coo-coo call which is the reason for its common name in the Virgin Islands.