Short-eared owl

Perched on a post with its yellow eyes fixed on the field ahead, the short-eared owl is a bird of open country and one of the few owls you are likely to see hunting in daylight. Its mottled brown and buff plumage blends into dry grass, and the tiny ear tufts that give it its name are rarely visible.

Short-eared owls glide low over prairie, marsh, and ditches on long, buoyant wings, listening for voles and other small mammals, and they are most active around dawn and dusk. Unlike many owls they nest on the ground, hiding a shallow nest in tall grass, and they wander widely from year to year following the food supply. They are listed as a species of special concern in Canada.

To learn more about the short-eared owl and its habitat, visit its species page at All About Birds.

Here is one of my favourite frames of this bird, watching over an open field from a post.

Field notes in photographs

Short-eared owl Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the short-eared owl in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.