Short-eared Owl Identification

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.

  crow-sized

  Measurements

  • 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.

• 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.

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.

Regional Photos

© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryHawaii, September 25, 2016

© Tim Lenz / Macaulay LibraryNevada, January 01, 2013