Species · GBIF taxon 2497306
Long-eared Owl
Asio otusAlso known as Northern Long-eared Owl, Lesser Horned Owl, Cat Owl
Long-eared Owls are masters of camouflage, spending their days roosting in dense coniferous foliage where they compress their bodies to resemble broken tree branches. Under the cover of darkness, they hunt over open fields and meadows, using incredibly sensitive hearing to locate prey beneath snow or vegetation. During winter, these otherwise solitary birds often gather in communal roosts, sometimes numbering dozens of individuals in a single grove.
NocturnalCamouflagedBird of Prey
Licensed referenceFrancesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 · cc-by-sa
- diet
- Carnivorous, primarily feeding on voles, mice, and other small rodents
- family
- Strigidae
- threats
- Habitat loss, rodenticide poisoning, vehicle collisions, and predation by larger raptors
- life Span
- 10 to 15 years in the wild
LC
Capable of inflicting painful scratches with sharp talons if cornered; observe quietly from a distance.
Highly sensitive to human disturbance at communal winter roosts and active nest sites, which can lead to nest abandonment.
Never approach a roosting owl closely; use binoculars or a spotting scope to observe without causing them to flush.- Scan Dense Conifers: Look for their long, vertical ear tufts and orange facial discs deep within thick evergreen branches.
- Listen for Hoots: Listen at night for the male's low, single, repeating hoot, which carries surprisingly far.
- Respect Winter Roosts: Keep a respectful distance from communal winter roosts to avoid causing energy-depleting flight.