THE LONG EARED OWL
(Asio otus)
The Long Eared Owl, is native to the whole of North America and breeds in the northern part of it's range, including Southern Ontario.
They have upright-standing ears and a constantly surprised expression.
According to Wikipedia, these are adaptable birds with a vast range and are widely distributed Owls in the North America with a similar species being found in France, Spain, Ireland and most of Europe as well as Morocco and Tunisia in North Africa and the southern part of Russia.
In this area, these birds nest in trees, both deciduous and coniferous, often in mixed forests and sometimes in urban areas and seem to prefer life at the woodland edge, as they often roost and nest in dense stands of wood but prefer to do their hunting over open ground.
Their diet is almost 100% rodents, especially Voles which make up most of their prey. When necessary, the Long Eared Owl will also eat reptiles and amphibians including snakes, frogs, toads and lizards.
These birds are identified easily by their large ear tufts which give them their name, although these are not actually ears at all, but feathers.
They often have a brown or gray face and white patch on their throat, their eyes have a yellow iris and their feet and legs have feathers up to the talons.
These birds breed early in the year, usually in January or February in Ontario, they are monogamous and usually lay one clutch of eggs each year.
The youngsters are ready to leave the nest at around three weeks of age, at which time they are not fully fledged and still rely on their parents for food, calling them with high pitched notes so their parents can locate and feed them.
By five weeks of age they are fully fledged and are able to fly, but they often are still fed by their parents and follow them for another two months.
Long Eared Owl Info ...
The Long Eared Owl- All About Birds
The Long Eared Owl - Wikipedia
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What Other Visitors Have Said
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Owl in Ajax, Ontario 
My Dad sent me this and said, “Had a visitor on our porch this morning”.
Thank you for sending us this great picture of this owl, which I suspect …
What kind of owl is this?
Seen in Hamilton, Ontario, in a neighbour's backyard.
I have no idea what this is because it looked pretty strange.
Help please!
Hello Erik, …
Swingin Owl
We were working at the fire-hall by the Toronto Zoo when I noticed something hanging oddly in the air a few feet off the ground.
Upon closer inspection …
Long Term Resident Long-eared Owl couple spend Winter by York University Not rated yet
In early December I first laid my eyes on the spectacular Long-eared Owl.
The Owl was accompanied by its partner (presumably a male and female) and …
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