Long-eared Owl

Long-eared Owls are slender owls (13-16 in) with long ear tufts pointing straight up. Their dark mottled feathers and rusty-orange facial disc provide excellent camouflage when roosting during the day in thick stands of trees.

They hunt in open grasslands at night, occasionally at dusk, flying low over the ground and searching for prey by sight or sound. They eat small mammals, particularly rodents.

Long-eared Owls don't build their own nests. Instead, they use stick nests built by Crows and Magpies.

Could it be? Great Horned Owls are larger than Long-eared Owls. Their ear tufts are shorter and point out at an angle rather than straight up and down.

Did you know? If disturbed on their nest, Long-eared Owls raise their ear tufts and compress their feathers to disguise themselves as a broken branch.

See Also: Burrowing Owl, Great Gray Owl, Great Horned Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Snowy Owl

Hard - can be difficult to spot. They may be few in number or not readily visible (for example, underground).

Deserts are dry areas covered with sand or rocks and with very few plants. There is limited rainfall and it's usually very hot.

Grasslands are large open areas covered with grasses. They have very few trees or shrubs. This habitat includes prairies and tundra.