Photo: Luis nunes alberto / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Long-eared Owl
Asio otus
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) — Owls of North America.
Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Central America & Caribbean, Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 297 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Strigiformes
- Family Strigidae Owls
- Genus Asio
- Species otus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 297 g
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Long-eared Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Long-eared Owl is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean, Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, PAL widespread.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 297 g, with a wing length of about 28.1 cm and a tail of around 13.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 27.6 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Long-eared Owl?
The Long-eared Owl is a large bird that weighs around 297 g.
Where does the Long-eared Owl live?
The Long-eared Owl is found across Central America & Caribbean, Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering NA, MA, PAL widespread, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Long-eared Owl belong to?
The Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Long-eared Owl eat?
The Long-eared Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Long-eared Owl migrate?
The Long-eared Owl is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Long-eared Owl endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Long-eared Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Long-eared Owl — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Long-eared Owl's range?
The Long-eared Owl has a mapped global range of about 27.6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Strigidae
A field guide to the Strigidae family — 236 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.