A Natural History Lesson on Short-eared Owls
We have two short-eared owls at the World Bird Sanctuary. You can see them on the display line past the rehabilitation hospital. Short-eared owls are small birds of prey having a body length of 13 - 17 inches, weighing between 10 and 18 ounces and having a 3 - 3½ foot wingspan. They prefer open grasslands and agricultural areas and can be found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.
These birds hunt during the day, at night, at dusk and dawn. In some areas, they may compete with barn owls which also hunt at dusk or dawn. Short-eared owls fly low over the ground, locate prey (small mammals such as moles, shrews, voles, rabbits, and occasionally birds) by sound, and then quickly descend on it. Sometimes these birds hunt from low perches, like fence posts or shrubs, and watch open areas for prey. When prey is spotted, they will fly out quickly and pounce on it. They are known to kill their prey with a bite to the back of the skull.
Courtship displays can often be seen during the day and involve the male flying up very high, diving down and then swooping upward again. When the owl begins his dive, he brings his wings together to make a clapping noise. Four to seven creamy white eggs are laid in a nest on the ground consisting of a bowl-like depression lined with grasses. The eggs typically hatch after 24-27 days of incubation. Both parents incubate and care for their young.
Chicks will begin wandering around the nest when 14-18 days old and adults will violently defend them when threatened. Also when a predator nears a nest, one of the parents may flush out and feign, or pretend to be injured, in order to distract the threat from finding the chicks. Meanwhile the chicks will “play opossum” and remain completely motionless.
Short-eared owls have been seen by some researchers attacking large birds. One researcher reports seeing a short-eared owl soaring in circles above a flying great blue heron and diving down and striking at it repeatedly on its back. Another was seen swooping down at black ducks in a pond. Surprisingly these owls weren’t defending any chicks. Perhaps they were just being mischievous.
Submitted by Sara Oliver, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist
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