Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus (Pontoppidan, 1763)
34–43 cmLength102 cmWingspan323 gWeight
Its yellow eyes are ringed in black as if with mascara, and it often flies low over open grassland in search of voles.
Busiest months: January · Most records: United States, Canada, United Kingdom
Looks like Long-eared Owl
How to identify
Field marks
- Eyes yellow-orange, surrounded by black rings
- White facial disc resembles a mask
- Feathers mottled yellowish-brown, with prominent stripes on the upper breast
- A broad white band often visible along the trailing edge of the wing in flight
Male, female and young
Female slightly larger than male.
Voice
Harsh barking calls, such as “waowk” or “toot-toot-toot”; mostly silent in winter.
Similar species
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: January · Most records: United States, Canada, United Kingdom
Short-eared Owl has been recorded at 1,529 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 107 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Amherst IslandCanada1,785 records
- Parker River NWRUnited States1,426 records
- Pole FarmUnited States1,246 records
More places
- Delta – Brunswick PointCanada774 records
- Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, Lincoln Park, ChicagoUnited States763 records
- Killdeer Plains Wildlife AreaUnited States745 records
- Southeast Farallon IslandUnited States689 records
- Spurn Bird Observatory Recording AreaUnited Kingdom671 records
- Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira – área geralPortugal641 records
- Reifel Bird SanctuaryCanada638 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
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.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Short-eared Owl?
The Short-eared Owl is about 34–43 cm long, with a wingspan of 102 cm and weighs around 323 g.
Where does the Short-eared Owl live?
Its breeding range: Worldwide: widespread except Australasia. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and United Kingdom.
When is the best time to see the Short-eared Owl?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Short-eared Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Short-eared Owl as Least Concern.
What does the Short-eared Owl eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Short-eared Owl in?
It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 34–43 cm
- Wingspan
- 102 cm
- Weight
- 323 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 297 mm
- Tail
- 146 mm
- Bill
- 27 mm
- Tarsus
- 42 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Worldwide: widespread except Australasia
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Owls Strigidae
- Genus
- Asio
Other birds in the genus Asio
Jamaican OwlAsio grammicus
Striped OwlAsio clamator
Abyssinian OwlAsio abyssinicus
Madagascar OwlAsio madagascariensis
Stygian OwlAsio stygius
Marsh OwlAsio capensis
Fearful OwlAsio solomonensis
Papuan Hawk-OwlUroglaux dimorpha
Rufous OwlNinox rufa
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Sumeet Moghe. ↗
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