THE LONG-EARED OWL
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Superb
camouflage, an ability to alter its shape to blend with its
surroundings (by fluffing-up or flattening its feathers),
very nocturnal habits and a tendency to favour woodland
habitat – all these factors make the Long-Eared Owl the
least known of Britain’s native owls.
The
Long-Eared Owl prefers to live in mainly small patches of
woodland, especially conifer plantations, although it
avoids the centre of dense woods; it will also use
farmland, parks and even large gardens as habitat. It does
not nest in holes, but uses abandoned nests of other birds
such as magpie and crow.
Long-Eared
Owls are predominantly buff-brown with darker brown
streaks; the belly is paler with bold streaking and the
tail feathers are finely barred. Their eyes are a deep
orange, surrounded by golden-buff coloured facial disk
feathers, and the hooked bill is blackish. The Long-Eared
Owl’s most prominent feature is the pronounced ‘ear’ tufts
from which it derives its name. In most ‘tufted’ owl
species (the Eagle Owl family, for example) these have
probably nothing to do with hearing but are manoeuvred by
the owl to reflect mood or to aid with camouflage.
However, the Long-Eared Owl has remarkable hearing: its
facial disc channels sound to complex and asymmetric ear
openings which run nearly the full height of its skull. The
muscles required to alter the position of the ear tufts are
also thought to play a part in changing the shape of the
ear openings and therefore, may well mean that in the case
of the Long-Eared Owl the ‘ear’ tufts have a role to play
in hearing that enables the owl to detect, locate and
strike at prey with total accuracy, even in complete
darkness.
The male’s song is a moaning “hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo” and the
distinctive call of the female is a nasal hoot; both are
usually heard only at night.
During the breeding season the Long-Eared Owl relies mainly
on mice and voles for its food, but during the winter will
shift its feeding habits and place a far greater reliance
on small to medium-sized birds. This trend is almost unique
to the UK and happens in few countries other than the U.K.
The best time to see Long-Eared Owls is in the winter, when
you may stumble across them roosting in a bush or tree
(they often form communal roosts consisting of several
birds) or on migration, when birds may turn up on coasts at
any time of day. Population is cyclical, increasing when
rodents are prevalent. At the moment their numbers are
declining and it is thought they may also have lost ground
to the increasing numbers of Tawny Owl.