Jamaican Owl

Overview

The Jamaican owl (Asio grammicus) is a medium-sized owl that is endemic to the island of Jamaica. Previously considered the only member of the genus Pseudoscops, it has been reclassified within the genus Asio based on phylogenetic analysis.

Identification

• A medium-sized owl measuring 27 to 33 cm in length, with long ear tufts and dark brown eyes.
• Adults feature rufous upperparts, tail, and underparts with fine dark brown vermiculation or streaking, and a rufous facial disk rimmed in black-flecked white.
• Juveniles have light grayish brown backs and light cinnamon-buff plumage elsewhere.
• The call is described as a high, quivering hoot accompanied by a guttural growl.

Habitat

Found throughout Jamaica, this species inhabits open and semi-open landscapes such as open woodland, forest edges, plantations, and gardens. It is primarily associated with coastal and lowland areas but can be found at elevations up to 600 m.

Diet

Nocturnal in habit, it feeds mainly on large insects, with its diet also comprising spiders, amphibians, lizards, and rodents. There is one recorded instance of it taking a bird, specifically a Greater Antillean grackle.

Did you know?

Although nesting has been reported between March and October, egg-laying occurs between December and June, indicating a complex and potentially protracted breeding cycle. It lays a clutch of two eggs in a tree cavity or a concealed tree-fork.