Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

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Long-eared owlAsio otus (Ay-see-oh [a type of horned owl] oh-tus [an eared owl])TRACKS25-29This species is somewhat suggestive of a great horned owl, but ismuch smaller and not nearly so common. Long-eared owls are largelybirds of the boreal forest of Canada and the northern U.S., and areonly expected in Ohio in migration and winter. There have beendocumented nestings in the state, and breeding birds might be morefrequent than thought, but could be easily overlooked. This is trueof wintering birds, too. Long-eared owls are virtually never heardcalling in Ohio, although they certainly would vocalize aroundbreeding sites. Wintering and migrant owls are normally silent.A wide-ranging owl, long-eareds also occur across Eurasia, andresident populations are found in parts of Africa, the Azores, andCanary Islands.D e s cripti o n l o ng - e a re d o w lLength = 15 inchesWingspan = 36 inchesWeight = 9 ouncesThree species of Ohio owls have prominent ear tufts; this one,great horned owl, and Eastern screech-owl. The long-eared owl,which is the least likely to be encountered, obviously differs in itsorange facial discs and size, which is intermediate between those twospecies. Long-eareds are in the same genus as the short-eared owl,and look extremely similar to them in flight, although unless flushed,long-eared owls are not normally seen flying during the day. Whilesuperficially similar to great horned owls, long-eareds are but 1/5th asheavy, noticeably smaller and more slender in overall dimensions, andhave more erect ear tufts that are set closer together.Relaxed long-eared owl.Note lowered ear tufts and plump body.Photo by: ODNR Division of Wildlife / Jim McCormac
O h i o S tat u s l o ng - e a re d o w lWhile this owl is undoubtedly more common here than thought, relativelyfew birds are found. Most turn up in winter, when their roosts are discovered.These roosts might contain anywhere from a few birds to, on rare occasions,20+ individuals. Perhaps six to twelve long-eared owl congregations might bereported in a winter, and they can turn up anywhere in the state, but are leastlikely in the unglaciated hill country.Migrants also are found sometimes, mostly in March and April, and in November.They are extremely hard to locate in migration, as they migrate individually andare prone to hiding in very dense cover, such as thick grapevine tangles, duringthe day. Most migrants are found in places that get heavy visitation by birders, andthere are many eyes carefully searching the habitat.Documented nesting records are scarce, and Ohio is on the southern edge oflong-eared owls’ breeding range. This species undoubtedly is a rare breeder in Ohio,but like migrants and wintering birds, probably somewhat overlooked. Owls havebeen documented nesting in 22 counties, primarily in the northern 1/3rd of thestate. Almost all of these breeding records are many decades old; recent nestingsare few.C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 31Hab itat l o ng - e a re d o w lLong-eared owls are the strictly nocturnal counterpart of short-eared owls,which are largely diurnal. They hunt over open fields and meadows, and willconcentrate in sites that have plenty of meadow voles and other small mammals,as rodents are their primary prey.Good daytime roosting habitat near the hunting fields is essential. Longearedsare attracted to conifers in particular, and pine plantings within or nearfields are frequently used. They will also roost in native red cedars, whichare particularly common in areas where underlying limestone is near thesurface, such as southwestern Ohio. Owls will also use grapevine tangles, andsometimes pin oaks, which tend to have dense branching and retain theirleaves well into winter, thus offering concealment.Migrant owls can sometimes be found in large cemeteries, where theymay spend the day roosting in ornamental conifers.Photo by: © Gary Meszaros
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Page 7 and 8: M o d i fi ed Fe ath er s owl morph
Page 9 and 10: Pelle t s an d W h ite wa s h findi
Page 11 and 12: Ab o u t this Bookle t and CD owls
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Page 15 and 16: y people placing nest boxes in barn
Page 17 and 18: BTRACKS7-12arred owlStrix varia (St
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Page 21 and 22: Eastern screech-owlMegascops asio (
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Page 25 and 26: Great horned owlBubo virginianus (B
Page 27 and 28: Normally solitary except during the
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Page 33 and 34: N e s ting long - e a re d o w lLon
Page 35 and 36: Northern saw-whet owlAegolius acadi
Page 37 and 38: likely. When one is found, a very c
Page 39 and 40: Short-eared owlAsio flammeus (Ay-se
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Page 49 and 50: Like the Northern hawk owl and grea
Page 51 and 52: This is one of North America’s mo
Page 53 and 54: This is the smallest owl in the wor
Page 55 and 56: This small owl has a broad but spot
Page 57 and 58: This species has become a symbol of
Page 59 and 60: O T H E R N O R T H A M E R I C A N
Page 61 and 62: Publication FundingFunding for this
Page 63 and 64: A ppa l achi a n Fron tAu du bon So

Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

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