Short-eared owl

Maine is home to several kinds of owls. Some of them are the barred owl, the great horned owl and, in winter, the snowy owl. Other kinds of owls are seen less frequently in Maine, and among these is the short-eared owl.

The short-eared owl may be the rarest breeding owl in Maine. The only known nesting site was reported in 1996.

While most owls are nocturnal (meaning they are active at night), the short-eared owl is diurnal (active during the day and the night). It operates mostly at dusk and at night.

Short-eared owls hunt differently from many other birds. They circle their prey and then hover so they can study their target before they strike.

They hunt generally in meadows, marshes and prairies. They eat mostly small rodents, and occasionally other birds. Their main prey are meadow voles.

When short-eared owls feel threatened and their camouflage fails them, they sometimes play dead.

Short-eared owls are found worldwide except in Australia and Antarctica. Their population is declining all over the world, and in Maine, the short-eared owl is being considered, along with 13 other animals, for the state’s list of endangered and threatened species.