Bird of the Week – Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owls don’t usually breed in Interior Alaska, although there was an active nest along the Denali Highway a few years ago. They mostly breed on the north side of the Brooks Range and the North Slope, but pass through here in spring migration.

Short-eared Owl, Delta Barley Project

The “ears,” like the “horns” on a Great Horned Owl, are feather tufts. They are “short” in relation to the tufts on its non-Alaska cousin, the Long-eared Owl.

Short-eared Owls are among the most widely distributed owls in the Western Hemisphere. WC has seen them in Hawaii, in the Galapagos Islands, on Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America, in the Falkland Islands and at a lot of points in between. Their flight is very distinctive: buoyant, fluttery and kind of moth-like. It’s always a delight to see them.

For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.

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