Long-eared Owl
Long-eared Owls are nimble flyers, with hearing so acute they can snatch prey in complete darkness. In spring and summer, listen for their low, breathy hoots and strange barking calls in the night.The long-eared owl has mottled orange-brown feathers, distinct white eyebrows and striking orange eyes. It has large head feathers or ‘ear tufts’ which become raised when the owl is alarmed; normally the tufts are flattened. It is medium in size, with a wingspan of 95cm. It looks deceptively long and thin when in flight, but is actually no bigger than a wood pigeon.
Interestingly, Long-eared Owls don’t actually have long ears. The tufts perched atop their heads are not ears at all; instead, they are small groups of specialized, long feathers that stand up when the owl is alarmed and in need of camouflage. By resembling sticks, these feather tufts enable them to blend into trees and dense foliage when feeling threatened. Tiny muscles control the rise and relaxation of these tufts.
These nocturnal hunters roost in dense foliage, where their camouflage makes them hard to find, and forage over grasslands for small mammals.
Long-eared owls live in mixed and coniferous woodland, preferring the cover of dense, shrubby thickets, hedgerows and conifer trees. They are found across the UK, although there are fewer birds in Wales and the South West.The species appears to be more abundant in Ireland than it is within Britain, perhaps because of reduced competition from the Tawny Owl,
Long-eared Owls are secretive, nocturnal, and superbly camouflaged. One good way to find them is to listen at night in spring and summer for their long, low hoots. During winter these owls often roost in large numbers, and this can make them easier to find. Methodically search pine stands or shelterbelts near grassland or pasture for roosting owls, often close to the tree trunk among dense branches. Also look along the ground for pellets (gray, roughly oval cylinders of regurgitated fur, feathers, and bone).
Read more at www.wildonline.blog
Long-eared Owl
Long-eared Owls are nimble flyers, with hearing so acute they can snatch prey in complete darkness. In spring and summer, listen for their low, breathy hoots and strange barking calls in the night.The long-eared owl has mottled orange-brown feathers, distinct white eyebrows and striking orange eyes. It has large head feathers or ‘ear tufts’ which become raised when the owl is alarmed; normally the tufts are flattened. It is medium in size, with a wingspan of 95cm. It looks deceptively long and thin when in flight, but is actually no bigger than a wood pigeon.
Interestingly, Long-eared Owls don’t actually have long ears. The tufts perched atop their heads are not ears at all; instead, they are small groups of specialized, long feathers that stand up when the owl is alarmed and in need of camouflage. By resembling sticks, these feather tufts enable them to blend into trees and dense foliage when feeling threatened. Tiny muscles control the rise and relaxation of these tufts.
These nocturnal hunters roost in dense foliage, where their camouflage makes them hard to find, and forage over grasslands for small mammals.
Long-eared owls live in mixed and coniferous woodland, preferring the cover of dense, shrubby thickets, hedgerows and conifer trees. They are found across the UK, although there are fewer birds in Wales and the South West.The species appears to be more abundant in Ireland than it is within Britain, perhaps because of reduced competition from the Tawny Owl,
Long-eared Owls are secretive, nocturnal, and superbly camouflaged. One good way to find them is to listen at night in spring and summer for their long, low hoots. During winter these owls often roost in large numbers, and this can make them easier to find. Methodically search pine stands or shelterbelts near grassland or pasture for roosting owls, often close to the tree trunk among dense branches. Also look along the ground for pellets (gray, roughly oval cylinders of regurgitated fur, feathers, and bone).
Read more at www.wildonline.blog