Short Eared Owl

During the winter months the Short Eared Owl rarely visits in Canada. Sometime in late March or Early April some bird watchers see the owl in the southern provinces of Canada. Most likely these birds sighted were migrating north. Most of the time birders see the owl in the autumn months and many bird watchers include them in their Christmas Bird Count in all parts of the Provinces.

When full grown the Short Eared Owl stands about 13 to 16 inches in height and has yellow eyes. Both the male and the female owl's bodies have stripes of different soft tints of brown. The brown color is darker on the upper part of the body while the brown is not as dark on their abdomen and sides. The owl's tail has marked stripes and bars. The brown colors on its wings appear dappled with the under side of its wings a drab white. The Short Eared Owl does have ear tufts and ears but difficult to see.

The immature owls display a dark sooty brown color on top, their face a brownish black and their feathers have buff coloring on the tips. The young owl's stomach has a smoky gray or buff coloration.

The owl is a bird of the meadows, bog, tundra and sand dunes. Automobile drivers on back roads often see the Short Eared Owl perched on fence posts and the posts are far from the road.

The Short Eared Owl has a very large breeding range. Birders see them in Alaska, Greenland, south to New Jersey and in California. They also breed in South America and the Old World Countries. The large ranges in habitat include the continental North and South America. Also bird watchers see them in the Arctic Ocean area to Patagonia, The Falkland Islands and Chili. Birders see them throughout Europe and Asia. They spend their winter months throughout the southern part of Canadian Provinces, the United States and south to Cuba.

The Short Eared Owl builds its nest on the ground. The nest material consists of rough grasses and weed stalks. Once completed the birds line their nest with little pieces of new grass and small feathers tangled together purposely for softness. Occasionally the bird will hide the nest under a bush in an open field. When the owl builds its nest in a hay field it doesn't bother hiding the nest.

After mating and nest building the female owl lays four or more dull, ivory colored eggs around the middle of May. The oval shaped eggs measure about 1 1/2 inch by 1 1/4 inches.

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