Long-eared Owl

Long-eared Owl
Long-eared Owl
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Asio
Species: A. otus
Binomial name
Asio otus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms

Asio wilsonianus

The Long-eared Owl - Asio otus (previously: Strix otus) is a species of owl which breeds in Europe, Asia, and North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping of owls are the barn owls, family Tytonidae.

Contents

Description

The Long-eared Owl is a medium sized owl, 31–40 cm (12–16 in) in length with an 86–100 cm (34–39 in) wingspan and a body mass of 178–435 g (6.3–15.3 oz).[2][3] It has erect blackish ear-tufts, which are positioned in the center of the head. The ear-tufts are used to make the owl appear larger to other owls while perched. The female is larger in size and darker in coloration than the male. The Long-eared Owl’s brownish feathers are vertically streaked. Tarsus and toes are entirely feathered. Eye disks are also characteristic in this species. However, the eye disks of A. otus are darker in color or rusty-orange. This nocturnal species is perhaps most easily seen perched in a tree in its daytime roost, sometimes in small groups during the winter months.

Separation from Short-eared Owl

Over much of its range, Long-eared Owl occurs with the similar-looking Short-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.[4]

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. Its habitat is forest close to open country.

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.

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. In Europe it faces competition from the tawny owl and is most numerous where the tawny is absent.

Subspecies

A number of subspecies have been noted in this species including A. o. otus, A. o. canariensis, A. o. tuftsi and A. o. wilsonianus[5]

References

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2004). Asio otus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
  2. ^ CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), ISBN 978-0849342585.
  3. ^ [1] (2011).
  4. ^ Harris, Alan, Laurel Tucker and Keith Vinicombe (1989) The MacMillan Field Guide to Bird Identification pages 147-149 (reference covers whole paragraph)
  5. ^ http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Asio&species=otus

Bibliography

  • Davis, A. H. and R. J. Prytherch (1976) Field identification of Long-eared and Short-eared Owls British Birds 69: 281-7
  • Kemp, J. B. (1982) Field identification of Long-eared and Short-eared Owls British Birds 75(5): 227
  • Robertson, Iain S. (1982) Field identification of Long-eared and Short-eared Owls British Birds 75(5): 227-9
  • Kemp, J. B. (1982) Tail-lengths of Long-eared and Short-eared Owls British Birds 75(5): 230

Migration

  • Erritzoe, J. & Fuller, R.A. (1999) Sex differences in winter distribution of Long-eared Owls (Asio otus) in Demark and neighbouring countries. Vogelwarte 40: 80-87.

In Art

John James Audubon illustrates the "Long-eared Owl - Strix otus" as Plate 383 in Birds of America, published London, 1827-38. The print was engraved by Robert Havell in 1837. The original watercolor was purchased from Audubon's destitute widow by The New York History Society where it remains to this day.

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • long-eared owl — Eared Eared, a. 1. Having (such or so many) ears; used in composition; as, long eared eared; sharp eared; full eared; ten eared. [1913 Webster] 2. (Zo[ o]l.) Having external ears; having tufts of feathers resembling ears. [1913 Webster] {Eared… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • long-eared owl — Horned Horned, a. Furnished with a horn or horns; furnished with a hornlike process or appendage; as, horned cattle; having some part shaped like a horn. [1913 Webster] The horned moon with one bright star Within the nether tip. Coleridge. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • long-eared owl — noun slender European owl of coniferous forests with long ear tufts • Syn: ↑Asio otus • Hypernyms: ↑owl, ↑bird of Minerva, ↑bird of night, ↑hooter • Member Holonyms: ↑Asio, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Long-eared Owl — mažasis apuokas statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Asio Otus angl. Long eared Owl vok. Waldohreule …   Paukščių anatomijos terminai

  • long-eared owl — /lawng eard , long / a mottled gray owl, Asio otus, of the Northern Hemisphere, having a long tuft on each side of the head. [1805 15] * * * ▪ bird       (Asio otus), nocturnal bird of prey of the family Strigidae (order Strigiformes). Common to… …   Universalium

  • long-eared owl — noun /ˌlɒŋɪədˈaʊl/ Asio otus, a species of owl which breeds in Europe, Asia, and North America. Long eared owls are partially migratory, moving south in winter from the northern parts of their range. Syn: Stix, otus …   Wiktionary

  • African Long-eared Owl — Taxobox name = African Long eared Owl status = LC | status system = IUCN3.1 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Strigiformes familia = Strigidae genus = Asio species = A. abyssinicus binomial = Asio abyssinicus binomial… …   Wikipedia

  • Madagascar Long-eared Owl — Taxobox name = Madagascar Long eared Owl status = LC | status system = IUCN3.1 regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Strigiformes familia = Strigidae genus = Asio species = A. madagascariensis binomial = Asio madagascariensis… …   Wikipedia

  • African long-eared owl — afrikinė pelėda statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Asio abyssinicus angl. African long eared owl vok. Afrika Waldohreule, f pranc. hibou d Abyssinie, m ryšiai: platesnis terminas – ausuotosios pelėdos …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • Madagascar long-eared owl — madagaskarinė pelėda statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Asio madagascariensis angl. Madagascar long eared owl vok. Madagaskar Waldohreule, f rus. мадагаскарская ушастая сова, f pranc. hibou malgache, m ryšiai: platesnis… …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

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