The Short-Eared Owl


Asio flammeus

The Short-Eared Owl is a medium sized owl about 13 inches in length. Its wingspan is 41 inches and it is perhaps the most aerial of the owl group. Short-Eared Owls fly super low over fields and marshes from dusk until dawn searching for food. They bare a striking resemblance to Long-Eared Owls while in flight.

These owls have floppy wings, yellow eyes, and a dark bill. Their upper-parts are brown-white and haphazardly spotted. The Short-Eared Owl also has a dark un-patterned face and the tufts of feathers on its head are small when compared to other owls, giving it its name.

Short-Eared Owls live in open grasslands, plains, and agricultural areas with enough food and vegetation to sustain them. They also frequent salt marshes, estuaries, mountain meadows, and the alpine and Arctic tundra. These owls roost in trees only when snow covers the ground.

Short-Eared Owls make their nests in late February and March on the ground inside small depressions surrounded by grass. Their nests look like small bowls. They lay four to ten eggs at a time and the young leave the nest at about 35 days old. These owls eat mostly voles and field mice and can be found in Iceland, the Hawaiian Islands, the Galapagos Islands, and North and South America.

Source:       Ninepines Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, The Owl Pages