Birds nocturnal

Long-eared Owl

Asio otus

With its striking orange eyes and dramatic 'ear' tufts, the Long-eared Owl is one of the most mysterious visitors to the forest edge. A master of disguise, this nocturnal hunter transforms from a motionless branch-mimic by day to a silent, moth-like predator by night.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Length: 35–40 cm (13–16 in); Wingspan: 90–100 cm (35–39 in); Weight: 220–435 g (7.8–15.3 oz)

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Colors

Intricately mottled with shades of brown, gray, and buff. Features a distinct orange-buff facial disk and long, dark-centered ear tufts. Males are generally paler than females.

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Key Features

Prominent vertical 'ear' tufts positioned close together near the center of the head
Bright orange-yellow eyes set within a buff-colored facial disk
Heavy vertical streaking and cross-hatching on the underparts
Long, slender wings and a lanky profile compared to other owls

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern nocturnal

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Peak hours 9 PM - 4 AM

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Season Winter (for communal roosting) and Spring (for vocalizations)

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Diet Primarily feeds on small mammals, with voles making up the bulk of their diet. They also hunt mice, shrews, and occasionally small birds or large insects, capturing prey using their exceptional hearing to pinpoint movement in total darkness.

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Habitat Prefers a mix of dense cover for nesting and roosting (coniferous or thick deciduous groves) and open areas for hunting (grasslands, meadows, or shrub-steppes).

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Behavior

The Long-eared Owl is a master of camouflage, often spending its daylight hours perched motionlessly in dense evergreen thickets. When it feels threatened, it has a unique defense mechanism: it elongates its body and raises its ear tufts to mimic a broken tree branch, becoming nearly invisible against the bark. Unlike many other solitary raptors, these owls are remarkably social during the winter months, often forming communal roosts that can include dozens of individuals in a single stand of trees.

At night, they transform into silent, agile hunters, patrolling open fields and forest edges with a buoyant, moth-like flight. While they are generally shy and avoid direct human interaction, they are incredibly vocal during the breeding season. Their primary call is a low, rhythmic 'hoo,' which can be heard from a significant distance across quiet rural landscapes, though they are much more difficult to find than the more common Great Horned Owl.

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Camera Tips

To capture a Long-eared Owl on your backyard or trail camera, the secret lies in finding their daytime roost rather than their hunting grounds. Look for dense stands of conifers, thickets of vines, or overgrown brush near open fields. Signs of their presence include 'whitewash' (droppings) and grey, fur-filled pellets on the ground. Mount your camera 5 to 7 feet high on a nearby tree, angled slightly downward toward a suspected roosting branch or the base of a tree where pellets are concentrated.

Since these owls are strictly nocturnal, ensure your camera is equipped with a high-quality infrared (IR) flash that won't spook them. Set your trigger speed to the fastest possible setting—these owls are incredibly quick when they take off. We recommend using 'burst mode' to capture 3-5 images per trigger, as their flight is silent and smooth, making it easy to miss them with a single shot. If you are placing a camera near a known hunting ground, aim it toward fence posts or isolated 'snags' in open areas, as they love to use these as lookout points before diving for prey.

Winter is the most productive time for camera placement because of their communal roosting habits. You might capture several owls in a single frame if your camera is positioned near a popular 'social' grove. Avoid using artificial calls or lures, as these can cause significant stress to the birds; instead, focus on natural movement corridors. Finally, set your camera to record 15-20 second video clips. Watching their head-turning behavior and the way they 'stretch' to camouflage themselves provides fascinating insight that a photo alone cannot capture.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Long-eared Owl.

Great Horned Owl

Much larger and bulkier with a white throat patch and ear tufts set far apart on the head.

Short-eared Owl

Lacks the long tufts, has lighter plumage, and is often seen hunting over fields during the day or at twilight.

Eastern Screech-Owl

Significantly smaller (about the size of a pint glass) with a very different trilling vocalization.

Frequently Asked Questions

Long-eared Owls are strictly nocturnal, meaning they are most active from dusk until dawn. They spend almost the entire daylight period hidden in dense foliage, only emerging to hunt once total darkness has fallen.

The best way to attract them is to provide high-quality habitat. Plant dense evergreens or tall shrubs for roosting and maintain a portion of your property as a 'wild' meadow with tall grass to support the vole and mouse populations they hunt.

Their diet consists almost entirely of small rodents, particularly voles, deer mice, and pocket gophers. During the nesting season, they may also take small birds like sparrows or even large insects.

They are less common in high-density suburbs than Screech Owls, but they are frequently found in 'suburban-fringe' areas that border large parks, cemeteries, or agricultural fields where there is plenty of hunting space.

Size is the best indicator; Long-eared Owls are much smaller and slimmer. Also, look at the ear tufts: on a Long-eared Owl, they are located very close together near the center of the head, whereas a Great Horned Owl's tufts are set wider apart toward the sides of the head.

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