UKBirds

Short-Eared Owl

Asio flammeus

The Short-eared Owl 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 are usually not visible. The Short-eared Owl is found in open country and grasslands. The word flammeus is Latin for "flaming, or the color of fire".

Asio flammeus, the Short-eared Owl, is a medium-sized owl measuring 34-43 cm (13-17 in) in length and weighing 206-475 g (7.3-16.8 oz). It has large eyes, big head, short neck, and broad wings. Its bill is short, strong, hooked and black. Its plumage is mottled tawny to brown with a barred tail and wings. The upper breast is significantly streaked (Alsop 2001). Wingspans range from 85 to 110 cm (33 to 43 in). Females are slightly larger than males. The yellow-orange eyes of A. flammeus are exaggerated by black rings encircling each eye, giving the appearance of them wearing Mascara, and large, whitish disks of plumage surrounding the eyes like a mask.

Over much of its range, Short-eared Owls occurs with the similar-looking Long-eared Owl. At rest, the ear-tufts of Long-eared Owl serve to easily distinguish the two (although Long-eared Owl can sometimes hold its ear-tufts flat). The iris-colour differs: yellow in Short-eared, and orange in Long-eared, and the black surrounding the eyes is vertical on Long-eared, and horizontal on Short-eared. Overall Short-eared tends to be a paler, sandier bird than Long-eared. There are a number of other ways in which the two species differ which are best seen when they are flying: a) Short-eared often has a broad white band along the rear edge of the wing, which is not shown by Long-eared; b) on the upperwing, Short-eared Owl's primary-patches are usually paler and more obvious; c) the band on the upper side of Short-eared Owl's tail are usually bolder than those of Long-eared; d) Short-eared's innermost secondaries are often dark-marked, contrasting with the rest of the underwing; e) Long-eared Owl has streaking throughout its underparts whereas on Short-eared the streaking ends at the breast; f) the dark markings on the underside of the tips of the longest primaries are bolder on Short-eared Owl; g) the upperparts are coarsely blotched, whereas on Long-eared they are more finely marked. Short-eared Owl also differs structurally from Long-eared, having longer, slimmer wings: Long-eared Owl has wings shaped more like those of a Tawny Owl.