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Long-eared Owl

Asio otusOrder: STRIGIFORMESFamily: True Owls (Strigidae)

Breeding Location:

Mountains, Desert, Forest



Breeding Type:

Monogamous



Breeding Population:

Uncommon to locally common



Egg Color:

White



Number of Eggs:

2 - 10



Incubation Days:

26 - 28



Egg Incubator:

Female



Nest Material:

Typically does not build nests. Uses abandoned nests. Will sometimes evict crows.



Migration:

Northern birds migrate



Splitbar

Overview

Long-eared Owl: Medium-sized owl with gray-brown body with pale bars and heavy streaks on underparts. The facial disc is rufous with white a patch below the bill. The ear tufts are close together, long, black and rufous, and are not visible in flight. Bouyant, mothlike flight with silent wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Long-eared Owl: Occurs throughout the northern hemisphere. Preferred habitats include dense vegetation close to grasslands or shrublands, as well as open forests.

Breeding and Nesting

Long-eared Owl: Two to ten white eggs are laid in an abandoned stick or cavity nest; occasionally builds its own nest. Female incubates eggs for 26 to 28 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Long-eared Owl: Eats mice, moles, ground squirrels, small birds, small snakes, and insects. An active hunter suspected of capturing most of its prey by sound due to its ability to locate mice in complete darkness; most prey is captured on the ground or in low vegetation.

Vocalization

Long-Eared Owl: Male advertisement call is a low "hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo" repeated 10 to 200 times, with one note every two to three seconds. Female responds with a raspy buzz and often duets with the male. When alarmed, barks "whek-WHEK-whek" or shrieks like a cat; also hisses.

Similar Species

Long-eared Owl: Great-Horned Owl is much larger, stouter, and has wider-spaced ear tufts. Short-Eared Owl lacks rufous in facial disc and has shorter ear tufts.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family True Owl (Strigidae)_blue
Species Asio otus
Length13 - 16 Inches
Wingspan39 Inches

Long-eared Owl

Long-eared Owl: Medium-sized owl with gray-brown body with pale bars and heavy streaks on underparts. The facial disc is rufous with white a patch below the bill. The ear tufts are close together, long, black and rufous, and are not visible in flight. Bouyant, mothlike flight with silent wing beats.

● Song: "hoo-hoo-hoo", "whek-WHEK-shek"

● Foraging & Feeding: Long-eared Owl: Eats mice, moles, ground squirrels, small birds, small snakes, and insects. An active hunter suspected of capturing most of its prey by sound due to its ability to locate mice in complete darkness; most prey is captured on the ground or in low vegetation.

● Breeding & nesting: Long-eared Owl: Two to ten white eggs are laid in an abandoned stick or cavity nest; occasionally builds its own nest. Female incubates eggs for 26 to 28 days.

● Similar species: Long-eared Owl: Great-Horned Owl is much larger, stouter, and has wider-spaced ear tufts. Short-Eared Owl lacks rufous in facial disc and has shorter ear tufts.

Flight Pattern

Silent wing beats., Bouyant flight.
Long-eared Owl Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Long-eared Owl: Occurs throughout the northern hemisphere. Preferred habitats include dense vegetation close to grasslands or shrublands, as well as open forests.
BreedingMonogamous
PopulationUncommon to locally common
MigrationNorthern birds migrate
Weight8.6 Ounces