Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Summary 4
The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) is a species of typical owl (family Strigidae). 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 not be visible. Asio flammeus will display its tufts when in a defensive pose. However, its very short tufts...
Distribution 5
Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) The breeding range in North America extends from northern Alaska to northern Labrador, south to California, Utah, Colorado, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, and Virginia. The species breeds in small numbers in every province and territory in Canada (Cadman and Page 1994). It is more numerous in western and central North America than in eastern North America. In the northeastern United States, it currently nests in Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania (Tate 1992). In Eurasia the sort-eared owl ranges from Iceland, British Isles, Scandinavia, northern Russia, and northern Siberia south to southern Europe, Afghanistan, northern Mongolia, the northern Kurile Islands, and Kamchatka. The species also occurs in the Hawaiian Islands, Caroline Islands (Ponape), and Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico) (AOU 1983). During the nonbreeding season, this owl occurs mostly in the southern parts of most Canadian provinces and southward to southern Baja California, southern Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and Florida; also Hawaii (resident on all main islands) and the Greater Antilles (uncommon in Puerto Rico, including Isla Culebra). In the Old World, nonbreeding occurrences extend from the breeding range south to northwestern Africa, Mediterranean region, Ceylon, southern China, and Japan (AOU 1983).
Habitat 6
One of the world's most widely distributed owls, Asio flammeus can be found throughout much of North America and Eurasia. These owls prefer to live in marshes and bogs; they inhabit open, treeless areas. Their hunting and nesting habits make them well suited to relatively flat land. This species is migratory but uses relatively similar habitats during summer and winter. Short-eared owls have specialized eating habits and tend to stay where they can find ample food. They will leave an area to find preferred prey rather than eat other animals. Nests are usually located on dry sites and in open country supporting small mammals such as voles and lemmings.
(Martin, 1990; Sparks and Soper, 1989; Pearson, 1936)
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest
Wetlands: marsh ; swamp ; bog
Other Habitat Features: agricultural
Sources and Credits
- (c) Rick Leche, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/64649343@N00/388569179
- (c) Rick Leche - Photography, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/rick_leche/388571720/
- (c) Dario Sanches, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/dariosanches/11978483634/
- Adapted by Jaishneel Raj from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asio_flammeus
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/14488277
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18634624
More Info
iNat Map
| Threat | State Species of Concern |
|---|---|
| Nesting | nests locally |
