Long Eared Owl
Asio otus
Where is it found?
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Woodland, scrub forest and grassland
Diet and foraging method
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Hunt in open areas low to the ground. Owls hover and flutter before ambushing prey and pinning their meal to the ground. Owls swallow their food whole but cannot digest fur and bones so have to regurgitate them as a pellet.
Small mammals
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Key adaptations
Large eyes for good night vision. Useful as they hunt at night (nocturnal).
Strong legs and claws for catching and pinning prey down.
Asymmetric ears provide excellent hearing and allow owls to pinpoint the exact location a noise is coming from.
Strong legs and claws for catching and pinning prey down.
Asymmetric ears provide excellent hearing and allow owls to pinpoint the exact location a noise is coming from.
Social organisation and mating system
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Usually solitary but can form communal nests in winter
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Form socially monogamous pairs for breeding
Did you know that...?
Along with other owl species, Long-eared Owls have specially adapted wings so they can fly silently at night to stalk their prey.
Taxonomy
Picture credit:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Asio otus uszatka1" by photo taken by Artur Mikołajewski - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asio_otus_uszatka1.JPG#/media/File:Asio_otus_uszatka1.JPG
"Hornugle ( Asio otus)" by Marton Berntsen - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hornugle_(_Asio_otus).JPG#/media/File:Hornugle_(_Asio_otus).JPG
"Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) (8520159521)" by Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom - Long-eared Owl (Asio otus). Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Long-eared_Owl_(Asio_otus)_(8520159521).jpg#/media/File:Long-eared_Owl_(Asio_otus)_(8520159521).jpg
"Pelotes réjection Asio Otus" by BastienM - Own work. Licenced under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pelotes_r%C3%A9jection_Asio_Otus.jpg#/media/File:Pelotes_r%C3%A9jection_Asio_Otus.jpg
"Asio otus uszatka1" by photo taken by Artur Mikołajewski - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asio_otus_uszatka1.JPG#/media/File:Asio_otus_uszatka1.JPG
"Hornugle ( Asio otus)" by Marton Berntsen - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hornugle_(_Asio_otus).JPG#/media/File:Hornugle_(_Asio_otus).JPG
"Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) (8520159521)" by Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom - Long-eared Owl (Asio otus). Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Long-eared_Owl_(Asio_otus)_(8520159521).jpg#/media/File:Long-eared_Owl_(Asio_otus)_(8520159521).jpg
"Pelotes réjection Asio Otus" by BastienM - Own work. Licenced under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pelotes_r%C3%A9jection_Asio_Otus.jpg#/media/File:Pelotes_r%C3%A9jection_Asio_Otus.jpg
