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Long-eared Owl
Asio otus
Audubon Illustration
John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.
Range & Recent Observations
Last Spotted Near You
About the Long-eared Owl
The long-eared owl (Asio otus), also known as the northern long-eared owl or, more informally, as the lesser horned owl or cat owl, is a medium-sized species of owl with an extensive breeding range. The genus name, Asio, is Latin for "horned owl", and the specific epithet, otus, is derived from Greek and refers to a small eared owl. The species breeds in Europe and the Palearctic, as well as in North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, of the family Strigidae, which contains most extant species of owl. This owl prefers semi-open habitats, particularly woodland edge, as they to roost and nest within dense stands of wood but prefer to hunt over open ground.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Asio otus
- Family
- Owls
- Order
- Strigiformes
Similar species
Other members of the owls family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.
- Balsas Screech-Owl Megascops seductus
- Barred Owl Strix varia
- Bearded Screech-Owl Megascops barbarus
- Black-and-white Owl Strix nigrolineata
- Boreal Owl Aegolius funereus
- Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia
- Central American Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium griseiceps
- Cinereous Owl Strix sartorii
- Colima Pygmy-Owl Glaucidium palmarum
- Crested Owl Lophostrix cristata
- Eastern Screech-Owl Megascops asio
- Elf Owl Micrathene whitneyi
Know when the Long-eared Owl turns up near you
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Optics
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Cameras
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