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Short-eared Owl

...the golden owl that hunts by day
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Short-Eared Owl in flight
© Frank D. Lospalluto

Flapping with deep, slow wing-motion, a Short-eared Owl appears almost to float above the ground. This owl has an extensive world range, including North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Still, it's declining, due to development, agriculture, and overgrazing. American Bird Conservancy and Partners in Flight consider this bird at-risk. But the federal Conservation and Wetland Reserve Programs are showing promise for Short-eared Owls, by preserving large blocks of habitat. Let your elected representatives know that you support these programs!

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BirdNote®

Short-eared Owls Hunt by Day

Written by Bob Sundstrom

This is BirdNote.

[Short-eared Owl barking]

On a cold, crisp January morning, a beautiful golden-brown bird of prey sits atop a fence post. Suddenly, the bird takes flight on long, rounded wings. Flapping with deep, slow wing-beats, it appears almost to float above the ground, like an enormous moth. It’s a Short-eared Owl, an owl especially adapted to hunt during the day.

[Short-eared Owl barks]

Short-eared Owls are found on grasslands and tundra and along coastlines. They have an extensive world range, including North and South America, as well as Europe and Asia. [Short-eared Owl barking] Yet despite the widespread range, this unconventional owl is declining. In North America, grassland habitats are dwindling due to development, agriculture, and overgrazing. American Bird Conservancy and Partners in Flight consider the Short-eared Owl at risk.

So, what to do?

Well, restoring habitat offers hope. Programs such as the federal Conservation and Wetland Reserve Programs are showing promise for Short-eared Owls.

[Short-eared Owl barks]

BirdNote celebrates the work of our conservation partners and the everyday actions of our listeners to reverse the alarming decline in North American birds. Together, we can bring them back. Learn more and get involved at birdnote.org.

I’m Michael Stein.

###

Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Sallie Bodie
Editor: Ashley Ahearn
Associate Producer: Ellen Blackstone
Assistant Producer: Mark Bramhill
Call of the Short-eared Owl provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York.  Barking [137503] recorded by G. Vyn and barks by [45302] by D.S. Herr. Ambient recorded by C. Peterson.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2020 BirdNote   January 2017/2020   Narrator: Michael Stein

ID#  SotB-SEOW-01-2012-01-30   SotB-SEOW-01b
 

Bob Sundstrom
Writer
Michael Stein
Narrator
Support More Shows Like This
Tagshabitat protection human disturbance raptor State of the Birds grassland owl

Related Resources

Partners in FlightLearn more about the Conservation Reserve ProgramShort-eared Owl - More at AllAboutBirds

More About These Birds

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

Asio flammeus

Sights & Sounds

Birds connect us with the joy and wonder of nature. By telling vivid, sound-rich stories about birds and the challenges they face, BirdNote inspires listeners to care about the natural world – and take steps to protect it.

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