For the Birds: Short-eared Owls—common day-hunters

Short-eared Owl
Photo by Bill Dewey

By Christine Southwick

If you are in the Skagit area in the winter, hunting for Snowy Owls and other wintering raptors, chances are you will see a medium-sized brown owl hunting during our grey winter days. It is probably a Short-eared Owl. Since they use open land, it is common to find them over fields, and even over freeway mediums.

Short-eared Owl landing on fence post

Photo by Bill Anderson

Although it can, at first glance, be confused with the Northern Harrier because it is flying low to the ground, and maybe even hovering before pouncing on its prey, the floppy moth-like wing beat, and brown rump are great clues that it is a Short-eared Owl. Both species hold their wings at a slight dihedral (“V” shape), but, at least to me, the wings of the Short-eared Owl look overly-long for the size of its body, even though the wings of the N. Harrier average slightly longer. You may well see a confrontation between a N. Harrier and a Short-eared Owl hunting the same area, since they eat the same prey. N Harriers may attempt to steal the Short-eared Owl’s meal.

These owls help keep the vermin population down, eating voles, shrews, mice, rabbits, pocket gophers, and along the coast, some shorebirds. They locate their prey by ear, usually while in flight, although sometimes you will see them perched on a fence post listening.

The nest is located in open areas and is simply a scrape on the ground lined with grasses with usually six to eight eggs. The male brings food for the brooding female. The nestlings usually leave the nest 12-18 days after hatching, but can’t fly for another two weeks. Fledglings can hunt on their own within one to two weeks after their first flight, but family groups often roost together for a while.

Short-eared Owl wings in dihedral
Photo by Hal Everett

Unlike many owls, the Short-eared Owl is usually a quiet owl, with visual cues being readily used in open fields and daylight hunting. When defending their nest, they will bark, hiss or squeal. The male mating call has a steam-engine tempo of “voo-hoo-hoo”.

Habitat loss has greatly impacted our local Short-eared Owls. These owls, while still common in the winter, no longer breed in Western Washington where once they commonly nested. These owls need open land with prey species, and human expansion continues to shrink their preferred habitat.

So next time you are driving in open farmland on one of our grey dreary winter days, look for a Short-eared Owl skimming the fields listening for a tasty morsel. They will make a winter day bright again.

Christine Southwick is on the Board of the Puget Sound Bird Observatory and is their Winter Urban Color-banding Project Manager. She is a National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat Steward, having completed their forty hour class. We're happy that she's sharing her expertise with us about the birds in our backyards.