Species

Short-eared owl

Asio flammeus

A moth-like owl of open grasslands and marshes that hunts at dusk, a scarce winter visitor to Georgia.

Photo Unknown photographer (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC0 1.0 (opens in a new tab)

Predation

At a glance

Size: About 34 to 43 cm long; wingspan about 85 to 103 cm
Weight: About 200 to 475 g
Habitat: Grasslands, marshes and open fields
Diet: Voles and mice
In Georgia: A rare winter visitor
Voice: Mostly silent in winter
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Buff and brown; short ear tufts, rarely visible; yellow eyes in dark patches; floppy, moth-like flight; dark patches at the wrist
Told apart from: Northern harrier, which has a white rump and flies lower in daylight
Where to look: Large grassy fields and marshes at dusk, December to February

Behaviour

Short-eared owls hunt low over open ground at dawn and dusk with a floppy, moth-like flight. They roost on the ground in tall grass.

Why they matter

Short-eared owls depend on large open grasslands and marshes, which have declined across the East. They follow vole populations, turning up where rodents are abundant.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A scrape on the ground in grass, lined with grass and feathers
Eggs — Usually four to seven
Incubation — About 24 to 29 days
Chicks — Leave the nest at about two weeks, before they can fly
Flight — At about four to five weeks
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Large fields and marshes left unmown in winter give them hunting ground.

Misconceptions

All owls live in woods. Short-eared owls live in open grassland.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Wintering	Wintering	Leaving	Migrating north	Nesting farther north	Nesting	Chicks	Young flying	Migration begins	Moving south	Arriving	Wintering

Where it lives

Recorded in 65 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

Mexico

If you found one

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