Photo: User:Rodolphe / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Short-eared Owl
Asio flammeus
Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) — Owls of Worldwide.
Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) is a member of the Strigidae family found in Africa, Central America & Caribbean and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 323 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 flammeus
Where it lives
Worldwide widespread except AU
Quick facts
- Weight
- 323 g
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Strigidae
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Short-eared Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Short-eared Owl is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) is a species of bird in the Strigidae family, part of the order Strigiformes. It is found across Africa, Central America & Caribbean and Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers Worldwide widespread except AU.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 323 g, with a wing length of about 29.7 cm and a tail of around 14.7 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 39.9 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Short-eared Owl?
The Short-eared Owl is a large bird that weighs around 323 g.
Where does the Short-eared Owl live?
The Short-eared Owl is found across Africa, Central America & Caribbean and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering Worldwide widespread except AU, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Short-eared Owl belong to?
The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) belongs to the Strigidae family, in the order Strigiformes.
What does the Short-eared Owl eat?
The Short-eared Owl preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Short-eared Owl migrate?
The Short-eared Owl is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Short-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 Short-eared Owl make?
1 real field recording of the Short-eared Owl — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Short-eared Owl's range?
The Short-eared Owl has a mapped global range of about 39.9 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.
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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.