Long-eared Owl
Asio otus
Asio otus 4
The long tufts of feathers on its forehead give the Long-eared Owl its name. Like all birds, however, the Long-eared Owl’s real ears are small openings hidden underneath the feathers on the sides of its head. This species possesses the short legs, rounded wings, large yellow eyes, and disk-shaped face characteristic of owls. Aside from its long ‘ears,’ this medium-sized (15 inches) owl may also be identified by its streaked body and buff-colored face. Males are generally slightly paler than females. The Long-eared Owl is widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, this species breeds primarily across southern Canada and the northern tier of the United States. Smaller populations occur in the Rocky Mountains, along the coast of California, and at high elevations in the Appalachian Mountains. The Long-eared Owl occurs year-round in its breeding range, but individuals may disperse long distances during winter in search of food, wandering as far as the southern United States and central Mexico. In the Old World, this species breeds from Northern Europe across to Japan, wintering south to North Africa and South Asia. Other non-migratory populations occur in highland climates in Africa and on islands south of this species’ main range. The Long-eared Owl breeds in open evergreen or deciduous forests. Individuals remaining on breeding grounds during winter utilize the same habitats as in summer; individuals wandering south utilize forest habitats in those areas. Typical for an owl, the Long-eared Owl eats small mammals, such as mice, voles, and shrews, and may be found in greater numbers where prey is plentiful. The Long-eared Owl uses its excellent hearing to locate prey on the ground in order to fly down and capture it with its talons. Also, like most owls, this species hunts almost exclusively at night, making it difficult to observe. Long-eared Owls are most visible roosting high in trees during the day, especially in winter, when this species may form large communal roosts.
Conservation status 5
Populations of long-eared owls are difficult to track. However, within the U.S., populations appear to be largely stable, with declines locally in some states, including New Jersey, Minnesota and California. Most deaths are probably due to starvation or predation, though destruction of vegetation and alteration of habitat are also potential causes of population declines. Adults are occasionally killed by cars or shot by hunters in the U.S., but this is not common.
Long-eared owls are protected under CITES Appendix II and the U.S. Migratory Bird Act. They are not federally endangered or threatened in the United States, but they are considered threatened in the state of Michigan.
US Migratory Bird Act: protected
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: appendix ii
State of Michigan List: threatened
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
Habitat 6
Long-eared owls inhabit dense vegetation close to grasslands, as well as open forests shrub lands from sea level up to 2000 m elevation. They are common in tree belts along streams of plains and even desert oases. They can also be found in shelterbelts, small tree groves, thickets surrounded by wetlands, grasslands, marshes and farmlands.
Range elevation: 0 to 2000 m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland ; chaparral ; forest
Wetlands: marsh
Other Habitat Features: agricultural ; riparian
Sources and Credits
- (c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/7457894@N04/2471624146
- (c) photo taken by Artur Mikołajewski, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Asio_otus_uszatka1.JPG
- (c) Gregory "Greg" Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Asio_otus_-California%2C_USA-8.jpg
- Adapted by Natalie LaScala from a work by (c) Smithsonian Institution, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/34818351
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31379398
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31379388
