Tyto fatalis

This is Tyto fatalis. It is also known as the Leopard Owl, the Saber-Talon Owl, the Ambush Owl, and the Parachute Owl.

It lives on the island of Cuba and it is a 3 foot tall descendent of the Barn Owl.

It is called the Saber-Talon Owl because of it's enlarged talon, similar to the sickle-shaped claw of the Dromeosaurs and Seriema. But it turns out that it's claw is cause by the same mutation that caused the elongated claw of the Cassowary.

It is also called the Leopard Owl and the Ambush Owl because of both it's spots and it's style of hunting. It climbs to a tree branch and waits for a prey animal (it specializes in large rodents and pygmy elephants, which are descendants of zoo elephants left by humans) to come by. Then, it jumps onto the base of the neck of the prey animal and continues to hold on until the animal falls by loss of blood.

It is also called the Parachute Owl because it can't fly, but it uses it's wings as parachutes to take the drop on it's prey.

Enjoy