Long-eared Owl

 

By far my favourite owl is the Long-eared Owl. In fact, it is probably my favourite bird to observe in the wild. I absolutely love hiking in a snow-covered wood checking it out for these beautiful creatures.

Long-eared Owls are lanky owls that often seem to wear a surprised expression thanks to long ear tufts that typically point straight up like exclamation marks.

These nocturnal hunters roost in dense foliage, where their camouflage makes them hard to find, and forage over grasslands for small mammals.

Long-eared Owls are nimble flyers, with hearing so acute they can snatch prey in complete darkness.

Like other owls, the Long-eared has a body adapted for silent flight and precision hunting. Flight feathers with fringed edges and downy surfaces mute the sound of the owl’s passage through air.

The owls gain incredible hearing from their asymmetrically placed ear openings and large, sound-catching facial disks. Cornell All About Birds