Long-eared Owl - Asio otus
General Description
Tufts appear to sit on the middle of the head above the eyes. Eyes yellow, bill black, and throat dark. Facial disk circular and rusty/brown; color intensity varies. Chest and belly are mixed with horizontal and vertical markings. Ventrally, mottled brown. Dorsally, the back is mottled with mixtures of brown. SIZE: 13 to 16 inches. WEIGHT: eight to 10 ounces. VOICE: A soft, "Hoo, hoo, hoo¿," varying in number and given at two to three-second intervals.
Diagnostic Characteristics
Great horned owl is much larger, tufts set wider on the head, and the throat is white.
Distribution
Montana Range
Observations in Montana: 175
Montana CountiesBeaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Dawson, Deer Lodge, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Garfield, Glacier, Golden Valley, Granite, Hill, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Lincoln, Madison, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Phillips, Powder River, Powell, Ravalli, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sanders, Sheridan, Stillwater, Teton, Toole, Valley, Yellowstone
Migration
Migratory in northern latitudes, although some owls may stay throughout the winter.
Habitat
Long-eared owls are most often observed in hedgerows, woody draws, and juniper thickets, although they do occur within the forest edge. They are predominantly open-country hunters; however, they are seldom seen because of their nocturnal habits.
Food Habits
Depends heavily on small rodents.
Reproductive Characteristics
Begins nesting in March or April; nests in a stick nest built by other raptors, magpies, crows, or ravens. Clutch size three to six. Incubation about 26 days. Young fledge at 30 to 40 days (FWP). Nests from late April into June. Young just out of nest as late as July.
Citations & Sources
- Holt, D. and Becker, D. 1990. Indentification of Montana's Owls. Montana Outdoors. March/April 1990.