The **Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) is a striking open-country owl notable for its rare daytime hunting behavior**, gliding low over grasslands and desert plains with slow, buoyant flight while scanning for rodents.

The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) carries the quiet character of the open landscape. Unlike many owls that hide in forests or rocky cliffs, this species favors wide horizons—grasslands, coastal flats, marshes, and open desert plains where the wind moves freely across the ground. Its name comes from the small ear tufts that are often barely visible, giving the bird a rounded, almost gentle expression. When hunting, the Short-eared Owl glides low over the terrain with slow, buoyant wingbeats, scanning the ground for movement. Rodents form the core of its diet, and its flight often resembles that of a harrier as it drifts methodically across the landscape at dusk or even during daylight.

A medium-sized owl with a rounded head and small, often barely visible ear tufts that give the species its name. The plumage is mottled buff, brown, and cream, providing good camouflage in open grassy and sandy habitats. The facial disc is pale with a distinctive dark patch around the yellow eyes, giving the bird a striking expression. In flight, it shows long wings with dark tips and a pale underwing, often gliding low over open ground with slow, buoyant wingbeats.

Typically measures between 34 to 42 cm in length, has a wingspan around 85 to 110 cm, and weighs between 200 to 400 g

The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) is a striking open-country owl notable for its rare daytime hunting behavior, gliding low over grasslands and desert plains with slow, buoyant flight while scanning for rodents.

Long-eared Owl (Asio otus)

Eurasian Scops-owl (Otus scops)

The **Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) is a striking open-country owl notable for its rare daytime hunting behavior**, gliding low over grasslands and desert plains with slow, buoyant flight while scanning for rodents.