Birds and Birding's Guide to:

Watching THE ROLLER-LIKE BIRDS

THE ROLLERS AND THEIR ALLIES

THE OWLS

Short-eared Owls

Of the second section of the genus which is characterized by having the ear-tufts rudimentary, the so-called Short-eared Owl (A. acci-pitrinus) is the typical representative.

This species is practically cosmopolitan, ranging throughout the entire Western Hemisphere except the Galapagos Islands and a part of the West Indies, and the Eastern Hemisphere excepting Australia and Oceanica. Ranging in length from fourteen to nearly seventeen inches, it has the ground color both above and below varying from bright tawny ochra-ceous to buffy white, which is striped but not barred with dark brown. The face is whitish, becoming blackish around the eyes, while the ear-tufts are so reduced that at a distance of twenty-five feet they are practically indistinguishable.

"In its general habits,”says Bendire,”the Short-eared Owl differs considerably from most of the other members of this family found with us in being not nearly so nocturnal and in frequenting the more open country; for while most of our Owls inhabit timbered regions, this species shuns such sections and rarely ever alights on a tree. Its home is amidst the rank grasses and weeds usually found along the borders of lakes and sloughs in the open prairie country, where it hides during bright, sunshiny days. If the sky is clouded, this Owl may be frequently seen hunting in the early morning or evening and sometimes in the middle of the day, and at such times it flies very low, not more than a few feet from the ground, which it carefully scans for its humble prey. Its flight is remarkably easy, graceful, and perfectly noiseless.”From the fact that these birds are usually seen in pairs it is presumed that they remain mated through life.

Their notes are apparently somewhat varied, consisting of a faint mouselike squeak, a loud, startled cry, like a ghostly laugh, and a hoot which has been likened to the”baying of a dog in the distance.”Their food consists almost entirely of small rodents, such as meadow mice, gophers, voles, lemmings, with an occasional small bird, as well as grasshoppers and various insects. Whenever a district becomes overrun with certain of these rodents, such as field mice and voles, the Short-eared Owls are almost certain to assemble in numbers and to remain until the vermin are reduced.

This species is also distinctly migratory, breeding most abundantly in the northern portions of its range and retiring southward in fall. In the Arctic regions the time of nesting may be deferred until June or even July, but in the more southern portions it may begin as early as March. The nest is always placed on the ground, usually in a bunch of grass or weeds, and consists of a slight hollow sparsely lined with dry grass; occasionally, according to Dr. Dall, the nest may be placed in a burrow on the side of a steep bank. The eggs number from four to seven, rarely more, and usually but a single brood is reared in a season. When disturbed the birds submit with little demonstration.

In Porto Rico the place of the typical form is taken by a distinct species, the Porto Rican Short-eared Owl (A. portoricensis), which has the dorsal region a nearly uniform dark brown instead of being conspicuously striped with ochra-ceous, while in the Galapagos Islands there is another closely related species (A. galapagoensis). The latter has the legs marked with dusky streaks, the back irregularly barred or transversely spotted with fulvous, and the under parts barred as well as striped. Their habits are similar to those of the common species.

The only other species that we may mention is the African Short-eared Owl (A. nisuella), which is a handsome bird, reddish brown above and pale yellow ochre, barred with brown on the body and legs. This species frequents swamps and marshy places, remaining concealed during the day amongst long grasses and weeds, going abroad at night to prey upon the water insects, mice, and lizards. The nest is placed on the ground, usually under a clump of grass or rushes, and the eggs are only two or three in number.

 

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