Short-Eared Owl
Last Review/Updated: May 31, 2002
Asio flammeus
This is a light colored owl with small ear tufts that are seldom visible. It is about 36 cm (14 in.) long. In flight, the large, round, seemingly neckless head and dark patches on the underside of the wings are easily seen. The upper parts of the body are a yellowish to buff color with brown streaking on the crown, neck and back, and barring on the wings. The pale underparts are heavily streaked with brown on the breast.
The short-eared owl is a bird of the open grassland, marshes and farmland. It is found throughout the province, except in the alpine and montane zones of the Rocky Mountains. The breeding season is spent from the subarctic to the northern states. Winter months are spent south of the summer range as far away as Latin America.
Nests are usually a lined depression on the ground. Five to 7 eggs are laid.
Predominantly a day hunter, the short-eared owl flies slowly over the ground in search of mice and voles. During years when rodent populations are high, these owls tend to congregate in a greater abundance than any other bird of prey.
