Portrait of a Long-eared owl - Asio otus
he Long-eared Owl is generally an Owl of dual habitat: in South-West England for example it prefers to nest and roost in woodland and by night hunt across open grassland for mainly small mammals. However, this is not the case everywhere: in Cambridgeshire it can nest and roost in large mature hedgerows but still is dependent open grass areas for prey, while in northern counties, such as Cumbria, its preferred nesting and roosting areas are small conifer plantations surrounded by rough grassland, often on fell sides – perhaps here they are less likely to have strong competition from Tawny Owls. In winter, northern birds are often found in large hedgerows or copses in coastal areas. To sum up habitat selection by Long-eared Owls, they are a dual habitat bird utilising both broadleaf and coniferous woodland edge for nesting and roosting, and requiring open grassland for hunting. They may frequently be found however in mature hedgerows and scrubland and have on occasion even been observed roosting and nesting on the ground as the Long-eared Owl’s close relation the Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus does.
Size: 3350px × 5004px
Location: Gloucestershire, England
Photo credit: © Jada Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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