Framed in a narrow gold plein air wood frame. The Laughing Owl, whose name was derived straightforwardly from its shriek, was a victim of unintended consequences. Making its nests in low outcrops of New Zealand's open areas, the night hunter had no problem with one invasive species, the Maori rat, nor the Brown rat who outperformed the Maori. These were a good food source for the owls, and easier to catch than the plentiful rabbits.

The rabbit population exploded, so weasels and ferrets were introduced to combat the so-called rabbit nuisance. It was these creatures who showed no mercy and the ground dwelling owls were gone within decades. In 1909 one of the last survivors was photographed, and by the early 1920s the owl was presumed extinct. Sceloglaux albifacies.