Birds
Short-Eared Owl
Asio flammeus · also called short-eared owls
In broad daylight over an open grassland, a short-eared owl flies low with a floppy, moth-like wingbeat, hunting in conditions that would send most other owl species straight back into hiding until nightfall.
Overview
The short-eared owl, Asio flammeus, is a distinctive owl native to open grassland, marsh, and tundra habitat across a broad range of North America. Its unusual daytime hunting habits, floppy moth-like flight, and ground-nesting behaviour make it one of the more behaviourally atypical owls found across the continent.
An owl that never got the memo about nighttime hunting
While most owls wait for full darkness, the short-eared owl regularly hunts in broad daylight over open ground, a habit that sets it apart from nearly every other owl species sharing its range.
Status
Least Concern, though showing a decreasing trend in parts of its range linked to the loss and degradation of open grassland and wetland habitat.
Short-Eared Owl: common questions
Why does the short-eared owl hunt during the day?
This species hunts readily in broad daylight, particularly at dawn and dusk, a habit shared by only a small number of other owl species, likely because its open grassland and marsh hunting habitat offers enough visibility for effective daytime hunting, unlike the dense forest habitat many strictly nocturnal owls depend on for cover.
How does the short-eared owl's flight look different from other owls?
This species flies with a distinctive floppy, irregular wingbeat often compared to a large moth, a noticeably different flight style from the steadier, more controlled flight typical of many other owl species, making flight pattern alone a useful clue for identification at a distance.
Why is it called the short-eared owl if its ears aren't visible?
This species has very small ear tufts that are only rarely raised and usually lie flat against the head, making them easy to miss compared with the more prominent, frequently visible tufts of some other owl species, a subtlety that gives the species its descriptive but sometimes misleading common name.
Why does the short-eared owl sometimes show up in unpredictable places?
This species can be somewhat nomadic, shifting its wintering and even breeding locations from year to year depending on local vole population cycles and food availability, meaning the specific areas where the species is common can vary considerably from one year to the next.