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World Owl Trust - leading the World in Owl Conservation
Monday 20th May, 2013

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Long-eared Owl
Asio otus
Long-eared Owl - Asio otus    Long-eared Owl - Asio otus
Jenny with Mia a Long-eared Owl - Asio otus
Mia a Long-eared Owl - Asio otus
As of February 2005.
Description Medium sized, long winged owl with prominent ear tufts. Upper-parts a mottled mixture of black, buff, brown and white, below whitish-grey (whitish-gray) or buff with brown streaks and barring. Large prominent facial disk with white eyebrows and lores. Orange eyes.
Size 35-40cm, 180-435g
Range Eurasia from W Europe, the Azores and N Africa across to China and Japan winters as far south as Egypt, Pakistan, N India and S China, also N America from Canada to N Mexico.
Habitat Mainly open habitat near to tree or hedge cover, includes pastureland, grassland, forest with clearings, taiga, marshland with willows etc.
Food Mostly small mammals and birds.
Breeding Breeds from February-July. Usually nests in the old stick nest of other birds such as corvids, pigeons or raptors. 5-7 eggs are incubated for 26-28 days. The young leave the nest after about 3 weeks but cannot fly for another 2 weeks. They become independent after a further 8 weeks.
Call A deep, resonant “whooo”.
Status Not globally threatened, relatively common and widespread in many areas.
Comments This secretive bird is almost entirely nocturnal. Further work is required into the taxonomy of this bird particularly its geographical variation.
Races Previously included A.abyssinicus and A.madagascariensis as races.
Asio.o.otus Azores, NW Africa, W Europe across to China, Japan and Sakhalin. Winters in Egypt, Pakistan, N India and S China.
A.o.canariensis Canary Islands
A.o.wilsonianus North America from British Columbia to California across to Newfoundland and North Carolina. Winters in Georgia, Texas and Mexico.

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The World Owl Trust is a member of BIAZA
The World Owl Trust is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). The Trust relies on a dedicated membership, visitors, donations and legacies.
The World Owl Trust is a member of EAZA

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