Northern Illinois Raptor Rehab & Education

Discription

Body Length:  12-16 in.

Weight:  8-16 oz.

Wingspan:  3-3.5 ft.

Medium sized, slender owl with tufts. 

 

 

Ecology

Distributed widely in North America, Eurasai and North Africa.  Lives in wooded or dense busy areas near open grasslands, marshes, and deserts with shrubs.

 

 

Hunting Style

The long-eared owl hunts over open country by night. It is very long winged, like the similar short-eared owl, and glides slowly on stiff wings when hunting. Its food is mainly rodents, small mammals, and birds.

 

 

Behavior

The long-eared owl's breeding season is from February to July. This bird is partially migratory, moving south in winter from the northern parts of its temperate range.  Overall, these owls are secretive, and are rarely seen.

It nests in trees, often coniferous, using the old stick nests of other birds such as crows, ravens and magpies and various hawks. The average clutch size is 4–6 eggs, and the incubation time averages from 25–30 days. It will readily use artificial nesting baskets. An unusual characteristic of this species is its communal roosting in thickets during the winter months. The young have a characteristic call, likened to a rusty hinge.

 

 

Fun Facts

their call is a low hoo, hoo, hoo 10-200 times. 

Males can be heard over 1/2 mile away.  Females have a raspy or buzzy call. 

Males flap their wings below body making a clapping sound during courtship.

Different from other owls in that they roost communally upwardsof 50 owls during winter usually in dense brush or groves of conifers.