shorteared owl (Asio flammeus)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

 

IDENTIFICATION

• Length: 13 inches Wingspan: 41 inches

• Sexes similar

• Medium-sized owl

• Perhaps the most aerial owl, the short-eared courses low over fields and marshes at dawn and dusk with floppy, moth-like wingbeats

• Yellow eyes and dark bill

• Upperparts mottled brown and white, with darker bars on flight feathers

• Breast tawny with darker streaks fading to a white belly with diffuse        darker streaking

• Face relatively dark and unpatterned

• In flight, pale underwings with prominent black wrist marks are obvious

Similar species:

Often easily identified by behavior alone, the short-eared is most readily
confused with the long-eared owl. In flight, both species share similar
underwing coloration, and often a good view of a sitting bird is needed to
discern the many obvious differences such as the long-eared owl's ear tufts,
red facial disks, barred underparts, and lack of tawny coloration. Potentially
confused with the barred owl, but easily distinguished by eye and bill color,
face and underpart patterning. Barn owl occupies similar habitat but is
much paler and lacks streaking on the underparts.

 

LIFE HISTORY

Migration Status:Short distance migrant
Breeding Habitat:Grassland
Nest Location:N/A
Nest Type:N/A
Clutch Size:4-9
Length of Incubation: 26-28 days
Days to Fledge:31-36
Number of Broods:1
Diet: Mostly and small mammals

 

SKY MEADOWS DISTRIBUTION/SEASONAL OCCURRENCE

 

Relative abundance and seasonal occurrence are indicated in red below.

 

Relative abundance
     C - Common: Likely to be present in good numbers in appropriate habitat and season.
     U - Uncommon: May be present in appropriate habitat and season, often in low
            numbers.
     O - Occassional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times per season,
            sometimes low numbers.
     R - Rare: May not be recorded every year.
     Acc - Accidental: Recorded once or twice, may not be expected again for a long time.

 

Seasonal Occurrence
      Sp - Spring: March, April, May
      Su - Summer: June, July, August
      Fall: September, October, November

      Winter: December, January, February Acc

 

 

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