The Four Keys to ID
- Size & Shape
Short-eared Owls are medium-sized owls with rounded heads. The "ears" mentioned in their name are difficult to see. The wings are broad and the tips are smoothly rounded. The tail is short.
Relative Size
Larger than a Rock Pigeon; smaller than a Great Horned Owl.
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- Both Sexes
- Length: 13.4-16.9 in (34-43 cm)
- Weight: 7.3-16.8 oz (206-475 g)
- Wingspan: 33.5-40.5 in (85-103 cm)
© Alex Lamoreaux / Macaulay Library
- Color Pattern
Short-eared Owls are medium brown spotted with buff and white on the upperparts. The face is pale with yellow eyes accentuated by black outlines. The breast is heavily streaked with brown; the chest and belly are pale or buffy. The pale underwing has a dark comma-shaped mark near the wrist, and the upperwing shows a pale patch in the primaries.
© Tim Lenz / Macaulay Library - Behavior
They hunt during daylight, flying low over short vegetation. They flap with stiff beats of their rounded wings, giving their flight a buoyant, mothlike quality.
- Habitat
Look for Short-eared Owls in grasslands and open areas, where they perch in low trees or on the ground.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay Library
Regional Differences
The pueo of Hawaii is a distinct subspecies of the Short-eared Owl that is native to the islands but similar in appearance to the North American subspecies. A buffier, less streaky form is native to the Caribbean and is a rare visitor to Florida.
