Long-eared owl by Anne Ponsen

About "Long-eared owl"

by Anne Ponsen

About the artwork

This long-eared owl was very curious and started hanging more and more crookedly just to keep following me.

Its long, often raised ear tufts and orange-yellow eyes are striking. It occurs in various types of landscape where there is open field with sufficient field mice. The long-eared owl usually nests in old nests of magpies or crows. In winter, long-eared owls gather in groups close to favourable feeding areas.

The long-eared owl inhabits a wide range of habitats, ranging from agricultural areas to open woodland, forest edges, parks, dunes, moors, bogs and marshlands. In large, contiguous forest, it is mostly absent. The long-eared owl prefers to hunt in the open field, along road verges and in areas of forest clearings. The long-eared owl prefers to nest and roost in conifers, which offer it the best cover. In addition, in wooded banks, groups of trees, hedges and even solitary trees.
They mainly eat voles, with the field mouse as their main prey. In addition, true mice (e.g. wood mouse) and small birds such as sparrows, blackbirds, starlings and finches.

Long-eared owls tend to be faithful to a nest environment for several years, but not necessarily to the same nest. For example, because a previously used crow's nest has fallen into disrepair. Young long-eared owls swarm when independent and may migrate hundreds of kilometres away. From autumn onwards, long-eared owls gather in groups and occupy permanent roosting sites. Long-eared owls from north-eastern Europe migrate south in winter.

This owl, together with about eight other long-eared owls, has been in the same street every year for years.