I did not take this picture of the owl in Treasure Beach, but in Ironshore by MoBay a couple of weeks ago. Are there owls such as this in St. Bess??

i have seen a huge white owl hunting at dusk as well as deep in the night between frenchmens and billys bay

its been a while since i seen it, but i had many sightings of it over the years

heard it being called a duppy bird, and extremely ugly, by local jamaicans

but i have to say it was beautiful and such a powerful creature, hope i see it again soon

yes they are here-sitting sometimes across our lot pst d.ont touch,wonderful

Yes, when I saw this owl and was taking pictures, the locals waited until I was done out of courtesy, and then they started throwing rocks at it! I asked them what [edited by TB.Net] they were doing!!! "They eat other birds eggs" they said, and that the owls are "evil". Funny, these same guys talked about how they like turtle punch...

I don't see anything ugly about these birds.Some of the same people talking,their hearts and minds are sooo much uglier!Look at the beautiful heart shaped face and innocent eyes.Love birds

Up to the other night I saw one across the street from where I live sitting on a fence post. When I am driving at night I see them often all over the island.

They are beautiful creatures and I always feel fortunate when I get to see one.

Nature's miracle; please don't harm them!

This bird was in the same spot every night. I would sit at sunset and wait. Then, as luck would have it, one night while my camera was off and at my side, another one came and they both were in the air after each other, wings flapping, and what a sight that was. Not sure if they were fighting or courting, as sometimes in the animal world it is hard to tell...

My wife and I enjoyed seeing one in February, early evening, on our walk back from Mar Blue to Taino Cove - exquisite.

Yes, some of them there are double face, I lived in F Charles, they are there for sure. they also eat the rats. Way dont they kill the mongusses?, they are the worse, I think they need an education on the diffents species

Yes, it is the same educational needs as the turtles. 99% of Jamaicans I believe do not know the facts of the sea turtles or most any other species that are there. At least that is what I have found. This is not a put down, just that environmental issues is way down the list of what gets taught in schools.

Beauty...always in the eyes of the beholder. I'm an environmentalist myself but, honestly, if I happen to see one of these owls in the dark, I would run out of my shoes! What??? Just look at those eyes!!!

Patoo!...Patu!(a West African word...Ghana)...That's what we called a variety of owls on the Island, although there are ornithological distinctions (patoos & potoos).
There was once a gallery in Kingston called Patoo with distinctive local crafts and the owls have appeared on Ja. postage stamps in the 80's.

There is such mystery about them, and although they have been superstitiously associated with death being near, others like us felt their vocalizations were mournings for our sorrows and secretive, often solitary, watchers of our nights. We hope their stature as symbols of "wisdom" penetrating the darkness will survive.

The Jamaican Owl or Patoo is not obviously related to other species in Jamaica or the world. It is one of five birds that is endemic not only as a specie, but it is also taxonomic of the genus.
This nocturnal bird feeds on frogs, insects and mice. It has no natural enemies.

Unfortunately, they are often killed by people who see them as a sign of death or bad luck.
In some rural areas people are taught to respond to an owl's calling with "Peppa, you mamma, you pappa, you brute you" before the owl stops or you or one of your loved-ones will die.

Under Jarnaican Law it is illegal to hurt, harass, capture, or be in the possession of the whole or part of any native bird species, their nests or eggs.
SOURCE: Jamaica Online/PanMedia

Other names for the white-faced owl that mnken has displayed are, I believe, barn owl (tyto alba), screech owl, scritch owl, white owl.

Birding in Jamaica:
http://blog.gcjamaica.com/birding-in-jamaica/birding-in-jamaica-of-potoos-and-pa toos/

Throughout history and across many cultures, people have regarded Owls with fascination and awe. Few other creatures have so many different and contradictory beliefs about them. Owls have been both feared and venerated, despised and admired, considered wise and foolish, and associated with witchcraft and medicine, the weather, birth and death. Speculation about Owls began in earliest folklore, too long ago to date, but passed down by word of mouth over generations.

In early Indian folklore, Owls represent wisdom and helpfulness, and have powers of prophecy. This theme recurs in Aesop's Fables and in Greek myths and beliefs. By the Middle Ages in Europe, the Owl had become the associate of witches and the inhabitant of dark, lonely and profane places, a foolish but feared spectre.
An Owl's appearance at night, when people are helpless and blind, linked them with the unknown, its eerie call filled people with foreboding and apprehension: a death was imminent or some evil was at hand.
During the eighteenth century the zoological aspects of Owls were detailed through close observation, reducing the mystery surrounding these birds. With superstitions dying out in the twentieth century - in the West at least - the Owl has returned to its position as a symbol of wisdom.

Owls in Mythology & Culture:
www.owlpages.com/articles.php?section=Owl+Mythology&title=Myth+and+Culture

The owl or patoo is a beautiful bird when seen closely. Their babies are even more beautiful about the time they are about to leave their nest.I was not very friendly with owl until I came across a pair of babies.Later, I learnt of the integral role they play in the food chain. Legend has it that the owl still guard the Spaniard's wealth they left behind in caves.

Patoo is a word used to describe several birds, but is properly a potoo, a distinctive but reclusive bird, drab brown, that looks for all the world like a snag/stump on a tree. I've seen them in Mandeville and in the mountains behind Bluefields. The bird pictured last month is a barn owl.