Short-eared Owl
Photo: Sumeet Moghe · CC BY-SA 4.0

Owls

Short-eared Owl

Asio flammeus

LCLeast Concern
Family
Owls (Strigidae)
Order
Strigiformes

Overview

The short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or may not be visible. The short-eared owl will display its tufts when in a defensive pose, although its very short tufts are usually not visible.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.