The Flaming Owl

The Majestic Short-eared Owl

The cool crisp evening air gently blows across your face, the frosty grass crunches beneath your feet as you walk along the track. You stop at the viewpoint and wait, soaking in the view, you can see for miles from here. The sun just starts to drop below the horizon on the gin clear sky. The light starts to fade and you see it, a Short,eared Owl, it comes gliding out from behind a hedge and starts to hunt, its burning yellow eyes scan the ground fro prey. A few moments later another appears from the other side of the field. They fly for a while and then they meet in the air, locking talons they fight in the air. The sight in spectacular, something that is truly memorable. Its for this reason that Short-eared Owls are one of my favourite birds. 

Short-eared Owl distribution
(Green = resident, yellow= summer,
blue = winter)

The Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) is one of the five owl species which breed widely in the U.K. We have the familiar Barn Owl (Tyto alba) and Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) as well as the elusive Long-eared Owl (Asio otus). The fifth species is the Little Owl (Athene noctua) which is actually a naturalised species introduced in the 19 century. At this point I feel I should point out that the 'ears' of the Short and Long eared Owls are in fact tufts of feather. The ‘flammeus’ in the scientific name means mean ‘flaming or the colour of fire’ in Latin.

In the U.K Short-eared Owls breed mainly in Northern England and Scotland. The highest densities of breeding pairs occur in areas of mixed rough grasslands and heather moors with a typical home range being around 200 hectares. The current breeding population is estimated to be between 620 and 2180 pairs, this is a wide range and reflects the lack of knowledge we have about this species. Breeding occurs from March to June. The clutch will consist of 5 –7 eggs and incubation takes around 21 - 37 days. Birds fledge after about 4 weeks. When nesting the adults have been observed feigning injury to lure predators always from the vulnerable ground nest.

Aerial Combat

In winter Short-eared Owls can be found much more widely, and area of open rough grassland can potentially hold them; areas such as old airfields and salt marshes are perfect. They are crepuscular, meaning active at dusk and dawn, making them one of our most visible Owl species. Local to me in Wiltshire Salisbury Plain reliably holds a few wintering birds and in recent winters Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Blakehill reserve has held up to eight birds provided regular close up views. In total there are between 5000 - 50000 wintering birds. This range in numbers reflects influxes of birds from the continent and Scandinavia in colder winters. Analysis of birds breeding in the U.K has shown that they tend to winter in salt marshes and coastal areas in the U.K.

Unfortunately, like so many species, all is not well for the Short-eared Owl in the U.K. The species is Amber listed meaning it has undergone a breeding range and population decline, perhaps more than any other predatory bird. Like so many other upland breeding species (such as the Hen Harrier) a driver in the decline is the illegal persecution of birds of prey on some areas of upland and Grouse moor. This has worsened in recent years as the management of these moors has intensified. In order to address this BTO are undertaking a large scale research project into the British breeding population and there is growing support to move towards banning or restricting driven Grouse shooting.

To find out more about the BTO’s Short-eared Owls research click here.

For more information on Grouse shooting click here.