Owls
Short-eared Owl
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Asio flammeus
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Voice
Alarm
Call
Alarm
How to recognize it
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Body length 34–43 cm
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Rusty-brown upperparts, pale breast with dark streaks
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Low, uneven flight over open fields
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Yellow-orange eyes with horizontal black rings; very short ear tufts usually hidden
About the species
From a distance, the Short-eared Owl looks tawny brown above and much paler below, with dark streaks across its breast. Up close, its yellow-orange eyes sit in dark rings within pale facial discs, while the tiny ear tufts are usually hidden. In flight, a broad white band often shows along the rear edge of each wing.
It flies low over fields with uneven, floppy wingbeats, then drops feet-first onto prey. A scratchy "waowk, waowk" carries across breeding grounds; on wintering grounds, it is usually silent. It also hunts by day and around dawn or dusk, especially when voles are active.
It hunts over open grassland, tundra, meadows, and other open country, nesting on the ground beneath low plants. Rodents, especially voles, make up most of its food; populations in the northern parts of its range move south for winter, and it may wander farther when vole numbers fall.
Where to find
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In open fields and grasslands, look for the short-eared owl flying low over the ground in early morning or late in the day as it hunts rodents.
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During the breeding season, listen across open meadows and tundra for the loud, sharp call heard on breeding grounds.
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Beside sea coasts and adjoining wetlands, watch for hunting swoops toward shorebirds and gulls — it sometimes hunts them there.
