Long-Eared Owl

 

Long eared Owl

Carrie O'Sullivan

The Long-Eared Owl is a night owl and is only active at night! If you were lucky enough to see one during the day, you would observe a bird with dark brown upperparts, paler underparts, bright orange eyes and long ‘ear’ tufts. It would also be observable that  the whole body has an overall streaked appearance. Long-eared owls nest in conifer plantations. While you may never see one, make sure to listen in late spring and early summer for the unique sounds of the chicks – which surprisingly sound like a squeaky gate!