Long-eared Owl
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Asio
Species: otus
**Long-eared Owl Audio Coming Soon**
Description
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Length: 15"
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Wing span: 36"
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Weight: 0.9 oz (260 grams)
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Mostly white underside with black spots and a pale orange-brown backside with white spots
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White heart shaped face
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Big black eyes
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Sexes are silimar in plumage, but females tend to be larger and darker in color than the males
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Juveniles resemble adult
Factoids:
- Roosts and nests in trees by day and hunts in open areas by night, widespread and relatively common in its range, but it is rarely seen
- It has been shown under controlled conditions that the Long-eared Owl can catch mice in complete darkness
- Like some other owls, the Long-eared Owl has asymmetrical ear openings: the left ear opening is higher than the right. This positioning helps the bird to locate prey by sound
- The hoot of the male Long-eared Owl can sometimes be heard up to 0.7 miles away (1 kilometer)
All photographs and audio clips are ©Jamie Mullin 2006
Sources: Cornell Lab of Ornithology & The Sibley Guide to Birds.
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