Another Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owls Seen at Tantramar

Short-eared Owl [Jean-Guy Gallant Photo]

The Tantramar Marsh has been good habitat for Short-eared Owls Asio flammeus again this winter.  This species prefers open spaces such as grasslands, salt marshes, prairies, agricultural fields, estuaries and tundra so the Tantramar is ideal as long as there is a good rodent population to support them.  The Short-eared Owl species exists all over Canada except the high Arctic islands.  They are not abundant but can be seen in suitable habitat.  They are permanent residents around Lake Erie and Lake Ontario and down the St. Lawrence River to about the Quebec border.  One wonders if they are extending their range further eastward to include New Brunswick.

For much more information on this species, please see the post on April 12, 2016.  The birds shown in this post were photographed by Jean-Guy Gallant on January 3 on the Tantramar.  The flight shot is especially difficult to get and as you can see he did a good job.

Short-eared Owls are nocturnal but do show some activity early in the morning and late in the day.  During the day they are usually roosting on the ground in the tall grass so are difficult to see.  They are 38 cm (15 inches) long and their wing span is 99 cm (39 inches).  With that large wing span they look magnificent in flight.  They flutter and bounce around in flight resembling a huge butterfly!

Short-eared Owl [Jean-Guy Gallant Photo]

If you want to see this bird take some time to watch a large wet salt marsh or wet meadow or agricultural field some time just before dark.  You might be lucky to see some action by this interesting species as it searches for food.  They are not very vocal but they do make a "voo-hoo-hoo" sound.  The female often responds with a "ke-oow".

The Short-eared Owl was first described in 1763 by a Danish bishop named Erich Ludvigsen Pontoppidan.  Other names that have been used for this species are Evening Owl, Marsh Owl, Mouse-hawk and Flat-faced Owl.  Let's enjoy and protect another one of New Brunswick's great treasures!