Short-eared owl (Asio flammeus)

Physical description

Short-eared owls are medium-sized members of the owl family, carnivorous birds of prey. Both sexes can range between 7 to 16 ounces and about 13 to 17 inches long. Wings that span 33 to 41 inches are broad with rounded tips. They are medium brown, with streaked breast and wings, and spotted buff and white on the belly. The ear tufts are short and hard to see, but the pale face and black-rimmed yellow eyes stand out.

Ecology and life history

Short-eared owls breed in landscapes with extensive areas of open land with low vegetation such as fresh and saltwater marshes, dunes, prairies, grassy plains, old fields, shrubsteppe, agricultural lands, and meadows. Short-eared owls tend to congregate and roost communally in the winter, often in sheltered sites near hunting areas.

Short-eared owls are among the owls most frequently seen in daylight, hunting in open country and marshes at dawn and dusk. They eat mostly small mammals such as mice and voles and also hunt for moles, rabbits, rats, and muskrats. Short-eared owls also hunt birds such as shorebirds, songbirds, terns, and gulls.

Image

Photo by Richard Eltrich

Male short-eared owls conduct aerial displays that include songs and acrobatics to attract a mate. Female short-eared owls build their nests on the ground by scraping out a shallow, rounded 10-inch bowl that she lines with downy feathers and grasses. Preferred nest sites are dry areas with enough vegetation to provide protection. Females lay between 1 to 11 eggs, which hatch between 21 to 37 days. 

One of the more interesting aspects of short-eared owl life history is their tendency toward nomadism (highly variable, non-seasonal movements). In Washington, although there are places where the species breeds nearly every year, it is more common that individual owls move across large regions and settle far from where they nested the previous breeding season. Such movements may be related to changes in populations of their small mammal prey species. These dramatic changes in the distribution and abundance of the owl make it difficult to understand their population status.

Geographic range

Short-eared owls are relatively scarce in Washington. In eastern Washington they are an uncommon winter visitor, migrant, and summer resident in open lowland habitats. In western Washington, they now appear to be scarce or absent in many areas where they used to be, such as in estuaries, prairies, and coastal dunes. There is no population estimate for this species in Washington.

For a map of worldwide distribution and other species' information, check out NatureServe Explorer and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.