Long-eared Owl
Encyclopedia
The Long-eared Owl - Asio otus (previously: Strix otus) is a species of owl
which breeds in Europe
, Asia
, and North America
. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owl
s, family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping of owls are the barn owl
s, family Tytonidae
.
The Long-eared Owl’s brownish feathers are vertically streaked. Tarsus
and toes are entirely feathered. Eye disks are also characteristic in this species. However, the eye disks of A. otus are darker in color or rusty-orange. This nocturnal species is perhaps most easily seen perched in a tree in its daytime roost, sometimes in small groups during the winter months.
. At rest, the ear-tufts of Long-eared Owl serve to easily distinguish the two (although Long-eared Owl can sometimes hold its ear-tufts flat). The iris-colour differs: yellow in Short-eared, and orange in Long-eared, and the black surrounding the eyes is vertical on Long-eared, and horizontal on Short-eared. Overall Short-eared tends to be a paler, sandier bird than Long-eared. There are a number of other ways in which the two species differ which are best seen when they are flying:
is partially migratory
, moving south in winter from the northern parts of its temperate range. Its habitat is forest close to open country.
It nests in trees, often coniferous, using the old stick nests of other bird
s such as crow
s, raven
s and magpie
s and various hawk
s. The average clutch size is 4-6 eggs, and the incubation time averages from 25–30 days. It will readily use artificial nesting baskets. An unusual characteristic of this species is its communal roosting in thickets during the winter months. The young have a characteristic call, likened to a rusty hinge.
The Long-eared Owl hunts over open country by night. It is very long winged, like the similar Short-eared Owl
, and glides slowly on stiff wings when hunting. Its food is mainly rodents, small mammal
s, and bird
s. In Europe it faces competition from the tawny owl
and is most numerous where the tawny is absent.
illustrates the "Long-eared Owl - Strix otus" as Plate 383 in Birds of America, published London, 1827-38. The print was engraved by Robert Havell in 1837. The original watercolor was purchased from Audubon's destitute widow by The New York History Society where it remains to this day.
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
which breeds in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owl
Typical owl
True owl or Typical owl are one of the two generally accepted families of Owls, the other being the barn owls . The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy unites the Caprimulgiformes with the owl order; here, the typical owls are a subfamily Strigidae...
s, family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping of owls are the barn owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
s, family Tytonidae
Tytonidae
Barn-owls are one of the two families of owls, the other being the true owls, Strigidae. They are medium to large sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons...
.
Description
The Long-eared Owl is a medium sized owl, 31 – in length with an 86 – wingspan and a body mass of 178–435 g (6.3–15.3 oz). It has erect blackish ear-tufts, which are positioned in the center of the head. The ear-tufts are used to make the owl appear larger to other owls while perched. The female is larger in size and darker in coloration than the male.The Long-eared Owl’s brownish feathers are vertically streaked. Tarsus
Tarsus (skeleton)
In tetrapods, the tarsus is a cluster of articulating bones in each foot situated between the lower end of tibia and fibula of the lower leg and the metatarsus. In the foot the tarsus articulates with the bones of the metatarsus, which in turn articulate with the bones of the individual toes...
and toes are entirely feathered. Eye disks are also characteristic in this species. However, the eye disks of A. otus are darker in color or rusty-orange. This nocturnal species is perhaps most easily seen perched in a tree in its daytime roost, sometimes in small groups during the winter months.
Separation from Short-eared Owl
Over much of its range, Long-eared Owl occurs with the similar-looking Short-eared OwlShort-eared Owl
The Short-eared Owl is a species of typical owl . In Scotland this species of owl is often referred to as a cataface, grass owl or short-horned hootlet. Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or may...
. At rest, the ear-tufts of Long-eared Owl serve to easily distinguish the two (although Long-eared Owl can sometimes hold its ear-tufts flat). The iris-colour differs: yellow in Short-eared, and orange in Long-eared, and the black surrounding the eyes is vertical on Long-eared, and horizontal on Short-eared. Overall Short-eared tends to be a paler, sandier bird than Long-eared. There are a number of other ways in which the two species differ which are best seen when they are flying:
- Short-eared often has a broad white band along the rear edge of the wing, which is not shown by Long-eared;
- on the upperwing, Short-eared Owl's primary-patches are usually paler and more obvious;
- the band on the upper side of Short-eared Owl's tail are usually bolder than those of Long-eared;
- Short-eared's innermost secondaries are often dark-marked, contrasting with the rest of the underwing;
- Long-eared Owl has streaking throughout its underparts whereas on Short-eared the streaking ends at the breast;
- the dark markings on the underside of the tips of the longest primaries are bolder on Short-eared Owl;
- the upperparts are coarsely blotched, whereas on Long-eared they are more finely marked;
- Short-eared Owl also differs structurally from Long-eared, having longer, slimmer wings: Long-eared Owl has wings shaped more like those of a Tawny OwlTawny OwlThe Tawny Owl or Brown Owl is a stocky, medium-sized owl commonly found in woodlands across much of Eurasia. Its underparts are pale with dark streaks, and the upperparts are either brown or grey. Several of the eleven recognised subspecies have both variants...
.
Behavior
The Long-eared Owl's breeding season is from February to July. This birdBird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
is partially migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, moving south in winter from the northern parts of its temperate range. Its habitat is forest close to open country.
It nests in trees, often coniferous, using the old stick nests of other bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s such as crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
s, raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
s and magpie
Magpie
Magpies are passerine birds of the crow family, Corvidae.In Europe, "magpie" is often used by English speakers as a synonym for the European Magpie, as there are no other magpies in Europe outside Iberia...
s and various hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s. The average clutch size is 4-6 eggs, and the incubation time averages from 25–30 days. It will readily use artificial nesting baskets. An unusual characteristic of this species is its communal roosting in thickets during the winter months. The young have a characteristic call, likened to a rusty hinge.
The Long-eared Owl hunts over open country by night. It is very long winged, like the similar Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
The Short-eared Owl is a species of typical owl . In Scotland this species of owl is often referred to as a cataface, grass owl or short-horned hootlet. Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or may...
, and glides slowly on stiff wings when hunting. Its food is mainly rodents, small mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, and bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s. In Europe it faces competition from the tawny owl
Tawny Owl
The Tawny Owl or Brown Owl is a stocky, medium-sized owl commonly found in woodlands across much of Eurasia. Its underparts are pale with dark streaks, and the upperparts are either brown or grey. Several of the eleven recognised subspecies have both variants...
and is most numerous where the tawny is absent.
Subspecies
A number of subspecies have been noted in this species including A. o. otus, A. o. canariensis, A. o. tuftsi and A. o. wilsonianusMigration
- Erritzoe, J. & Fuller, R.A. (1999) Sex differences in winter distribution of Long-eared Owls (Asio otus) in Demark and neighbouring countries. Vogelwarte 40: 80-87.
In Art
John James AudubonJohn James Audubon
John James Audubon was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats...
illustrates the "Long-eared Owl - Strix otus" as Plate 383 in Birds of America, published London, 1827-38. The print was engraved by Robert Havell in 1837. The original watercolor was purchased from Audubon's destitute widow by The New York History Society where it remains to this day.
External links
- Long-eared Owl Species Account - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Long-eared Owl - Asio otus - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Long-eared Owl Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Pictures and Listen to Audio
- Close up Picture of Long-eared Owl face
- Asio otus videos on the Internet Bird Collection
- "Northern Long-eared Owl" Stamps - (16 issues) with Circum-Polar Map
- Long-eared Owl photo gallery - VIREO
- Ageing and sexing (PDF) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta