The Bermuda saw-whet owl (''Aegolius gradyi'') was a species of

owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

that was

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = " Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , e ...

. It was described from fossil records and explorer accounts of the bird in the 17th century. The cause of its

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

ion is unknown, but it may have been related to the decline of cedar and palmetto trees, or the arrival of non-native predators and competitors after human colonization. First described in 2012, it was declared extinct in 2014 (though the extinction itself was in the 17th century).

References

Aegolius Extinct birds of Atlantic islands Endemic fauna of Bermuda Bird extinctions since 1500 Birds described in 2012 Taxa named by Storrs L. Olson Late Quaternary prehistoric birds {{Strigiformes-stub