Recently I posted on the Cuban Tody and Cuban Nightjar. Well, today it is the turn of the Cuban Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus cubensis).
We found this fellow in the fields in the foothills of Holguin Province. He hated having his daytime hideout disturbed, and refused to let us closer than 40 or 50 metres away. Eventually our attempts at a subtle approach were foiled by an aggressive bull that we attracted, and we beat a tactical retreat.
We do not know a great deal about this beauty. Apparently they prefer to roost on the ground in fields, and that certainly was the case here. As to feeding – we cannot be sure, but we did see a large number of mice (field mice?), and have to assume that these poor critters are the typical meal-of-the-day. In any event, a superb bird that I would love to see again.
