Long-Eared Owl (Asio otus) lives in temperate woodland edges across Europe, Asia, and North America. It feeds on small mammals birds. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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A real field recording of the Long-Eared Owl, made in the wild.
Long-eared owls span the size of a school backpack to a small surfboard, measuring 31-40 cm in length and boasting a wingspan of 86-102 cm, yet their bodies weigh as little as a bag of flour. In Finland, 22 males averaged 288 g while 20 females averaged 327 g, but European birds break Bergmann's rule: Swedish males were only 197 g, Dutch males 256 g, and females ranged from 225 g to 308 g. In North America, adult wingspans run 90-100 cm and females can reach 435 g, underscoring how this slender raptor balances a large wing area with a lightweight frame to glide silently over open fields.
When spring arrives, long-eared owls turn their forest edges into bustling nurseries. Pairs form in winter and breed from February to mid-July, with the female laying 2-10 eggs (usually 5-6) every two days. She then incubates them for 25-30 days, never leaving them uncovered by day. The chicks stay in the nest for about 21 days before they start hopping around the branches, and they only take to the air at roughly 35 days, becoming fully independent after 10-11 weeks. This rapid, tightly timed development lets the species exploit the brief boom of vole populations each summer.
Its principal prey are voles and deer mice, and it also snatches pocket mice, kangaroo rats, pocket gophers, shrews, juvenile rabbits and rats. Occasionally it adds small birds, snakes or insects to the diet. By hunting almost exclusively at night and capturing prey on the ground, the owl keeps rodent numbers in check, providing a natural pest-control service for farms and grasslands across its Holarctic range.
The long-eared owl is a global citizen, inhabiting temperate zones from the Azores to Japan and from the Canadian Arctic to the deserts of North Africa. Its vast range and high numbers earned it a Least Concern rating on the IUCN Red List, yet regional declines have been recorded in New Jersey, Minnesota and California. The oldest wild individual lived 27 years 9 months.
They regularly roost together in groups of 2-20 during the non-breeding season. Home-range studies show they may defend areas from 0.7 up to 20.25 km², yet they tolerate neighbours at distances as close as 14 m when nesting.
Sources
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In the whispering hours of dusk, the Long-Eared Owl stirs, its tawny feathers blending seamlessly with the fading light as it takes to the skies, its broad wings beating with a soft, muffled rhythm that belies the sharp, piercing gaze that scans the landscape below. With an effortless glide, it navigates the forest's twilight realm, its acute hearing and exceptional night vision guiding it through the shadows in search of unsuspecting prey. As it moves, the owl's very presence seems to embody the mystery and enchantment of the nocturnal world, a fleeting glimpse of which is a privilege bestowed upon the fortunate few who dare to venture into its domain.
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