thumb|In flight

thumb|In [[Texel, North Holland, Netherlands]]

The short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. 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 not be visible. The short-eared owl will display its tufts when in a defensive pose, although its very short tufts are usually not visible. The short-eared owl is found in open country and grasslands.

Taxonomy

The short-eared owl was formally described in 1763 by the Lutheran bishop Erik Pontoppidan under the binomial name Strix flammea. The specific epithet is from the Latin flammeus meaning "flammulated" or "flame-coloured". This owl is now placed with seven other species in the genus Asio that was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760.

Eleven subspecies are recognised: mice, ground squirrels, shrews, rats, bats, muskrats and moles. It will also occasionally depredate smaller birds, especially when near sea-coasts and adjacent wetlands at which time they attack shorebirds, terns and small gulls and seabirds with semi-regularity. Avian prey is more infrequently preyed on inland and centers on passerines such as larks, icterids, starlings, tyrant flycatchers and pipits. Insects supplement the diet and short-eared owls may prey on roaches, grasshoppers, beetles, katydids and caterpillars. Competition can be fierce in North America with the northern harrier, with which the owl shares similar habitat and prey preferences. Both species will readily harass the other when prey is caught.

Identification

  • Short-eared Owl - Asio flammeus - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
  • Riverhead, NY News Review article about the appearance of short-eared owls at EPCAL
  • Ageing and sexing (PDF; 3.7 MB) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta & Gerd-Michael Heinze