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Long-eared Owl

Asio otus ORDER: STRIGIFORMES FAMILY: STRIGIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Long-eared Owl Photo

A bird of temperate forests, the Long-eared Owl roosts and nests in trees by day and hunts in open areas by night. Though widespread and relatively common in its range, it is rarely seen.

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Appearance

Owls
Owls
Typical Voice

Adult Description

  • Medium-sized owl.
  • Mostly brown and cryptically marked.
  • Conspicuous "ear" tufts.
  • Orange facial disk.
  • White feathers form an X between eyes.

Immature Description

Similar to adult.

Range Map Help

Long-eared Owl Range Map
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Field MarksHelp

  • Adult

    Long-eared Owl

    Adult
    • © 2004 Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Kern County, California, September 2000

Similar Species

  • Great Horned Owl is similarly marked but is larger and more robust, with more widely spaced ear tufts.
  • Short-eared Owl is paler, with less prominent ear tufts, and no barring on the belly, but is very similar in flight.