Found across Europe, Asia, North America, and parts of North Africa, this adaptable owl thrives in woodlands, farmlands, and open meadows, where trees meet open ground. With its haunting yellow eyes, slender build, and ghostlike flight, the long-eared owl is a quiet presence in the night, perfectly evolved for stealth, precision, and survival in diverse habitats.
At first glance, the long-eared owl’s beauty is strikingly subtle. It has a slender body covered in intricate mottled plumage—a mix of brown, black, buff, and gray that mimics tree bark perfectly. When it perches upright against a branch, it nearly vanishes, a living shadow among leaves and twigs. Its most distinctive features are the elongated ear tufts, which stand tall above its head and give it a look of perpetual alertness. Despite their name, these tufts are not ears at all but movable feathers used for communication and camouflage. When threatened or curious, the owl raises them high; when relaxed, they lie flat. Its true ears are hidden asymmetrically on either side of its skull, giving it superb directional hearing—able to detect the faintest rustle of a mouse beneath leaves or snow.
In flight, the long-eared owl is the embodiment of silent grace. Its wings are long and rounded, allowing for low, buoyant glides as it hunts over fields and grasslands at dusk. Its feathers are uniquely structured to dampen noise: tiny serrations along the edges break up airflow, enabling it to move without a sound. This makes it one of the most efficient and stealthy predators of the night. Its diet consists mostly of small mammals, especially voles, mice, and shrews, though it occasionally takes small birds and insects. After digesting its prey, the owl coughs up pellets—compact bundles of fur and bones—that provide scientists with valuable clues about its diet and habitat.
Distribution
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia And Herz.
Brazil
British Virgin Is.
Brunei
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Finland
France
French Guiana
Georgia
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Guam
Guatemala
Guinea
Guyana
Haiti
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Korea
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Myanmar
Nepal
Netherlands
Niger
Nort. Mariana Is.
North Korea
North Macedonia
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Saint Pierre
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Georgia
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Trinidad & Tobago
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Turkey
UAE
US Minor Is.
US Virgin Islands
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
YemenAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
