page_title: Long-eared owl
section_title: Breeding
hierarchical_section_title: Long-eared owl / Breeding
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Ушастая сова English: Long-eared Owl; Latvia Deutsch: Waldohreule Latviešu: Ausainā pūce
context_page_description: The long-eared owl, also known as the northern long-eared owl or, more informally, as the lesser horned owl or cat owl, is a medium-sized species of owl with an extensive breeding range. The scientific name is from Latin. The genus name Asio is a type of eared owl, and otus also refers to a small, eared owl. The species breeds in many areas through Europe and the Palearctic, as well as in North America. This species is a part of the larger grouping of owls known as typical owls, of the family Strigidae, which contains most extant species of owl.
  This owl shows a partiality for semi-open habitats, particularly woodland edge, as they prefer to roost and nest within dense stands of wood but prefer to hunt over open ground. The long-eared owl is a somewhat specialized predator, focusing its diet almost entirely on small rodents, especially voles, which quite often compose most of their diet. Under some circumstances, such as population cycles of their regular prey, arid or insular regional habitats or urbanization, this species can adapt fairly well to a diversity of prey, including birds and insects. All owls do not build their own nests.
context_section_description: Long-eared owls tend to be monogamous breeders. Non-migratory populations are usually monogamous throughout the year, the pair bond being renewed annually. A study in Idaho determined that long-eared owls were locally extremely monogamous, with no extra-pair fertilizations were detected in 59 nestlings from 12 nests. There is a single record of a male breeding with 2 females in Netherlands, a very atypical case. Similarly, evidence of polyandry and alloparenting was found in a nest in western Montana where the four offspring of the female owl had two fathers, one of which was related to the female. Males claim their territory with singing and display flights with wing clapping. Singing normally starts at dusk on calm evenings and may continue through the night, clear windless moonlit nights are preferred. The song is usually delivered from a perch, most often at medium height in trees or from the upper half near the canopy, sometimes in flight. Males are responsive to playback during the period leading up to the breeding season (especially during courtship), to such a degree 45% territories would've been undetected in Spain if males has not responded to recordings (as opposed to listening for spontaneous callings). Often between 8 and 50 pairs are recorded in different parts of the range in a typical range of 100 km² (39 sq mi). In Scotland, about 17% of the 9-18 pairs per 10 km² (3.9 sq mi) were non-breeders. Typical territories for pairs are 50 to 100 ha (0.19 to 0.39 sq mi) in Finland when voles are plentiful. Several pairs may nest rather close together nonetheless. The minimal distance is normally around 50 to 150 m (160 to 490 ft) between active nests, but in Idaho a nearest nest distance of only 16 m (52 ft) was recorded. When food is abundant, about 10-12 pairs, infrequently as many as 50, may nest within area of 100 km² (39 sq mi). Pairs may tolerate each other in the same patch of trees while nesting if food supplies are abundant. A study in Province of Pisa of Italy of 32 territories found 10-15 pairs per 100 km² (39 sq mi) with a mean nest spacing of 1,727 m (5,666 ft). In a south-central Idaho study area, pair occurred on average 0.65 km (0.40 mi) apart. The highest densities may come from central Europe. The average density in central Europe is typically around 10-12 pairs per 100 km² (39 sq mi). However, in Brandenburg, Germany, over a 24-year study, it was found the average density was 72.7 pairs per 100 km² (39 sq mi). Based on studies from Michigan and Wyoming, anywhere from 10 to 100 pairs per 100 km² (39 sq mi) was estimated, with the average range in Wyoming riparian habitat about 55 ha (0.21 sq mi). Densities appeared lower in the Snake River area (0.28-0.42 pairs per square km) than elsewhere in southern Idaho (0.64-1.55 pairs per square km). Globally, many pairs of long-eared owl occupy the same territory all year around but most prefer to use a different nest each year even if the same nest as last year is still in good standing. Females typically take on the duty of inspecting potential nesting sites and duets with its mate; perched on a chosen nest, she sings to contact the male, later vocal activity is confined to weak calls only heard at short range. During displays, females have also have been recorded doing the wing clap display but much less intensely than males. Copulation tends to occur close to the nest. In Germany, it was recorded that the male precedes copulation with calls and display flights, followed by strong waving wing signals and tilting their body while perched near female and/or the nest. Copulation has also been observed on both the ground and the trees, preceded frequently by a duet, a male aerial display which ending in descent to ground and a flight by the female. Boundary fights between males are unrecorded in this species. Breeding occurs later in the year than sympatric species such as tawny owls and barn owls perhaps due to their more strongly migratory ways. Rarely mating may occur early as February in cooler temperate areas, but the pairs copulations usually take pl
caption: A young long-eared owl engaging in a threat display.
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