Long-eared Owl

Overview
Long-eared Owl: Medium-sized owl with gray-brown body with pale bars and heavy streaks on underparts. The facial disc is rufous with white a patch below the bill. The ear tufts are close together, long, black and rufous, and are not visible in flight. Bouyant, mothlike flight with silent wing beats.

Range and Habitat
Long-eared Owl: Occurs throughout the northern hemisphere. Preferred habitats include dense vegetation close to grasslands or shrublands, as well as open forests.

The Long-eared Owl has a large range, estimated globally at 10,000,000 square kilometers. Native to Europe, Asia, and North America and introduced to Cuba, this bird prefers forest, grassland, wetland, and shrubland ecosystems. The global population of this bird is estimated at 120,000 individuals and does not show significant signs of decline that would necessitate inclusion on the IUCN Red List. For this reason, the current evaluation status of the Long-eared Owl is Least Concern.

INTERESTING FACTS
Like some other owls, the Long-eared Owl has asymmetrical ear openings: the left ear opening is higher than the right. This positioning helps the bird to locate prey by sound. An unusual characteristic of this species is its communal nesting in thickets during the winter months. The hoot of the male can sometimes be heard up to 0.7 miles away. A group of owls has many collective nouns, including a "bazaar", "glaring", "parliament", "stooping", and "wisdom" of owls.