Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)

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A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

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Color Photographs: © Corel Corp.

Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 15 inches. General body coloration dark brown above and rusty brown below, streaked vertically with black. Head with elongate, narrow, closely placed, ear-like tufts of feathers. Facial disk large, ovate, rich rusty-brown in color. Center of facial disks with a wide gray-white band margined with black, particularly around the eyes.

Similar Species:  The Long-eared Owl might be confused for the Great Horned Owl. However the Great Horned Owl is nearly twice its size. The fascial disk is not rich rusty-brown and lacks the distinctive central gray-white band. The ear tufts of the Great Horned Owl are shorter, more triangular, and located further apart on the head.

Breeding Range (see map below): The Long-eared Owl is resident or breeds throughout most of the northern two-thirds of the United States and southern Canada. The species also occurs in Europe and northern Asia.

Overwintering Range:  This species overwinters in the southern United States and along the Pacific Coast.

Habitat: The Long-eared owl is found in both deciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests.

Food: Mostly small mammals.

Behavior: A nocturnal owl. The Long-Eared Owl is a moderately common bird, but is so adept at camophlage that it is rarely seen. The species is usually silent except near the nest where it makes a collection of hoots, whistles, and shrieks.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 4 to 5 white eggs. The eggs are laid in an old hawk, squirrel, or crow nest.