Wednesday 25 November 2009

Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)

OTHER NAMES: Common Long-eared Owl, Northern Long-eared Owl, Lesser Horned Owl
Latin Etymology: Asio (specific designate of Long-eared Owl) otus ("eared owl")


 Adult Long-aeared Owl (subspecies A. o. otus) at Nene Washes, Cambridgeshire - February 2024

Featured Subspecies: Asio otus otus
Weight: 250g  /  Length: 35-40cm  /  Wingspan: 90-100cm
UK GREEN LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Long eared owls are one of the rarer species of owl in the UK and certainly the most secretive. Your best bet is probably to follow someone else discovery and look for them at a nature reserve where they have been reported as roosting. Keep a respectful distance from the roost and don't go off paths to avoid disturbing them. Photographically, you may, as I have, have to contended with photographing through a thicket producing less than ideal results.

Related Species:
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Genus: Asio
Subspecies: A. o. otus, A. o. canariensis, A. o. tuftsi, A. o. wilsonianus

- Sighting Locations -
UNITED KINGDOM - Rare breeding resident (1800-6000 pairs) and rare Winter Visitor 
 - A single bird seen at Rutland Water in 2009, 4 birds at Deeping Lakes, Lincolnshire in January 2021, 2 birds at Nene Washes in February 2024

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red ListWikipediaRSPB, Xeno-canto

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