| Tyto pollens | |
|---|---|
| Artist's reconstruction | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Strigiformes |
| Family: | Tytonidae |
| Genus: | Tyto |
| Species: | †T. pollens |
| Binomial name | |
| †Tyto pollens Wetmore, 1937 |
|
Tyto pollens, also known as Andros Island Barn Owl, Bahamian Barn Owl, Bahamian Great Owl, or "Chickcharnie," was a 1-metre (3.3 ft), flightless barn owl that lived in the old-growth pineyards of Andros Island. It made its nests in burrows.
When the island of Andros was colonized by Europeans and their slaves in the 16th century, the owls coexisted with humans, at least until the forests were felled. The destruction of the original forests may have led to the extinction of T. pollens.
Scholars believe that T. pollens inspired the legend of the "Chickcharnie," a malicious, bird-like dwarf with glowing red eyes, three-toed feet, and a head that could rotate in any direction that was said to haunt the forests of Andros by early settlers.