A hunter of the open grasslands of the north

[Donna]

Short-eared owls are birds of open grasslands.

Fran and I watched a pair of them hunting on the open prairies of Oak Hammock Marsh in Southern Manitoba early this winter.

The birds flew low to the ground and would suddenly dive into the snow in pursuit of prey.

One bird must have dived a dozen times and as far as we could tell, came up empty each time.

These owls hunt both day and night and can locate prey by ear. It’s difficult to tell if their feeding is a success because they will often swallow their prey whole.

Short-eareds are found all across North America, South America and Eurasia and on many oceanic islands. That makes them one of the most widely distributed owls in the world.

Short-eareds will compete with barn owls and in areas where barn owl populations have risen, the short-eared owl has declined in numbers.

While this owl prefers prairies, meadows, tundras and open woodlands, in the Hawaiian Islands it is also found around towns.

It nests on the ground and will lay from one to 11 creamy white eggs.

While this owl is declining in the southern portion of its range and is listed as of special concern, threatened or endangered in some states, it is common in the northern portion of its breeding range. Populations do fluctuate greatly along with prey population cycles.

[valhalla]

I like the little ears 

[Bird Crazy]

I just like owls period