Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl in flight; Manahawkin, NJ, January.

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A bird of open grasslands, the Short-eared Owl is one of the most widely distributed owls in the world. It is found across North America, South America, and Eurasia, and on many oceanic islands.

Description

• Medium-sized owl.
• Mostly mottled brown.
• Chest pale with thin streaks.
• Head large and round.
• Large buff wing patch on outer wing visible in flight.
• Flies close to ground with characteristic floppy flight.

• Size: 34-43 cm (13-17 in)
• Wingspan: 85-103 cm (33-41 in)
• Weight: 206-475 g (7.27-16.77 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar in plumage. Female slightly larger with darker back and more rust on chest.

Sound

Call a scratchy barking.

Conservation Status

Declining in southern portion of range. Listed as of special concern, threatened, or endangered in some states. Common in northern portion of breeding range, but populations fluctuate greatly along with prey population cycles.

Other Names

Hibou des Marias (French)
Lechuza de la penas (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Short-eared Owl may compete with the Barn Owl in some areas. Some successful nest box programs to attract Barn Owls have coincided with the decline of the Short-eared Owl in the same area.
• The Short-eared Owl is one of the few species that seems to have benefited from strip-mining. It nests on reclaimed and replanted mines south of its normal breeding range.

Sources used to construct this page:

Holt, D. W. and S. M. Leasure. 1993. Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus). In The Birds of North America, No. 62 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists? Union.