Chickcharney
The chickcharney (also known as the chickcharnie or chickcharnee) is a legendary creature in the folklore of Andros Island in the Bahama Islands. It is said to live in the forests, and furry, feathered and about 3 feet (0.91 metres) tall, with an ugly appearance resembling an owl. In common legend, if a traveler meets a chickcharney and treats it well, he or she will be rewarded with good luck, while treating a chickcharney badly will result in bad luck and hard times. Sightings have continued into the present. It is said that the birds make their nest by bringing several pine trees together and making their nest in the middle. Several of these tree formations have been sighted.[1]
Tyto pollens
It has been theorized by scholars that chickcharney legends may have been inspired by persistent populations of Tyto pollens, a 1 metre (3.3 feet) tall, flightless species of barn-owl native to Andros. It was rumored to survive until the 16th century, until settlers felled the eastern Andros forests.