Short-eared Owl

A male’s hollow hoots climb in pitch and volume, reach a crest, then settle back down; this courtship series may come from the air, the ground, or a perch.

Cosmopolitan; breeds across northern North America, Eurasia and many oceanic islands. Migratory or nomadic, following rodent population cycles.

Open landscapes such as grasslands, prairies, marshes, tundra, heaths and young shrub-steppe; avoids dense forests.

Breeds mainly April–August. Northern breeders migrate south or to lower elevations August–November and return March–May. Wintering birds roam widely where prey is abundant.

The Short-eared Owl is a medium-sized, ground-nesting owl with surprisingly long, floppy wings and only tiny, often invisible ear tufts. Active mainly at dawn and dusk, it hunts on buoyant, moth-like wingbeats over open country, relying on keen hearing and vision to detect small mammals.