A bird of prey called the short-eared owl has been considered a symbol of wisdom since ancient times. Even on some Greek coins, you can find her image. She attracts attention with her mystery, piercing eyes and interesting sounds. It represents the genus of long-eared owls of the order owls.
Appearance
Owls are birds of prey that number about 220 species. The short-eared owl is a small representative with a body size ranging from 34 to 42 centimeters and weighing up to 390 grams. Females weigh up to 430 grams. The wings are rather long, brownish in color. The bird itself has a body color from grayish to reddish-brown. The beak is sharp and colored in black. The eye color is yellow. The owl has small vertical tufts of feathers on its head.
Habitat
The habitat of the short-eared owl extends on almost all continents of the Earth, with the exception of Australia and Antarctica. As a habitat, it prefers swamps with brackish water, flat areas, coniferous forests, fields and steppes. Some are found in the mountains, farmlands, and parks. Lives mainly in open spaces.
Nutrition
The short-eared owl’s main diet consists of various small rodents, namely mice, lemmings, voles, rats, and hamsters. They can also feed on larger mammals, for example, rabbits, shrews, birds, bats. Short-eared owls do not disdain various insects. They prefer to eat grasshoppers, caterpillars and beetles. Species that live near water bodies can feed on fish.
They hunt regardless of the time of day. In search of potential food, they begin to fly low over open areas. Looking out for prey from a height, they begin to attack sharply, clinging to the victim’s fur with their claws.
Reproduction
The average lifespan of short-eared owls in the wild reaches 13 years. The nesting period begins with the arrival of spring, after the arrangement of summer nests. The place for the nest is not changed. The intensity of reproduction is determined by the sufficient amount of food. If there is very little food, then many individuals of short-eared owls may not even enter the breeding process. As a rule, males become sexually mature at the age of one year. They attract the female with their bizarre flights and drum rolls. The male feeds the female and constantly circles nearby.
Short-eared Owl Chicks
After direct reproduction, the female lays about 6 eggs with diameters up to 33 millimeters and weighing only 20 grams. The incubation process takes 21 days. The male is responsible for food.
Chicks are born quite immature. Within a week, they gain sight and hearing, and also begin to grow overgrown with fluff. For about 18 days, little short-eared owls live in the nest of their parents. After this period, they begin to leave the nests, but keep close to their parents who feed them. Owlets grow extremely quickly. In literally one day, they add 15 grams of weight. After several months, owls learn to hunt and begin an independent life.
