There are a lot of varieties of owls in our terrestrial fauna. The heroine of this story will be a long-eared owl, because it is impossible to pass by such a beauty.
These birds are very amazing and unique creatures. Their way of life for many generations of scientists continues to arouse genuine interest. But these birds always have something new and unusual in habits for researchers. What secrets does the long-eared owl hide from us?
How to know that you have a long-eared owl in front of you
These birds are of medium size compared to other members of the owl family. The body of a long-eared owl grows in length from 30 to 37 centimeters.
When the bird fully spreads its wings, their wingspan is 85 - 98 centimeters. there is no sexual dimorphism, the sizes of males and females are no different. The main distinguishing feature of this amazing bird you can consider her funny ears. For such a feature, the owl was nicknamed eared in the scientific world.
The plumage of this representative has a brownish-gray tint on the back and reddish on the belly. At the same time, the abdomen is also decorated with transverse stripes of dark color. The limbs are covered with light feathers with a red tinge.
long-eared owl- night-bird. The claws of the bird are very large, tenacious. Thanks to this arrangement of claws, a long-eared owl is able to grab prey right on the fly, even if it is very small.
Where do eared owls live
This bird is distributed throughout the Eurasian continent. Their biotopes are dense forests. Most of all, owls prefer coniferous forests. For wintering, long-eared owls fly to warm countries, for example: to the south of China, to North Africa, to the Crimea and the Caucasus. But this applies only to the population living in the northern regions, with very cold winters.
Long-eared owls inhabiting the southern regions do not fly away for the winter and lead a sedentary lifestyle.
You will never meet these owls in the extremely northern regions - they cannot stand severe frosts.
Long-eared owl lifestyle and diet
As already mentioned, these birds love to inhabit coniferous forests, but they can also be found in a sparse forest belt, and sometimes these owls fly even in open areas.
Long-eared owls, like all members of the family, are nocturnal birds of prey. Their diet includes all kinds of rodents, such as. The owl also eats insects, and sometimes attacks small birds.
The main food for a long-eared owl is field mice. Reproduction of long-eared owls in nature
The mating season for these birds begins in May. At the same time, owls begin to build their nests. They usually choose the hollow of a large tree to locate the nest. Often, the height from the ground to the hollow is decent so that predators cannot get to the owl eggs. But some couples carelessly build a nest only 1 - 2 meters away from the ground.
The fertility of long-eared owls depends on the number of mice in their habitats. When there are plenty of these rodents, then owls breed very well. Usually the clutch consists of 5 - 6 eggs.
Little owls hatch from eggs blind and with a rare fluff on their bodies. Both parents take part in caring for the offspring. The female is engaged in heating the babies, and the male feeds the whole family. A week later, little owls begin to show activity, require food. Therefore, the mother owl begins, together with the male, to bring food to the chicks.
Field signs. long-eared owl looks like an owl. She also has bunches of feathers on her head (up to 6 cm), but she knows how to bend them down, making them almost invisible. The long-eared owl is much smaller than the eagle owl (36 cm) and belongs to medium-sized owls. The iris of the eyes is bright orange (even reddish in older birds) in color. Its plumage has the buffy color of pine bark, and when a resting bird nestles against a tree trunk during the day, frozen in an upright position, it can be mistaken more for a fragment of a thick branch than for a living creature. The long-eared owl likes to occupy old nests of crows or birds of prey. It leads mainly a nocturnal lifestyle and is inactive during the day.
area. temperate zones of Eurasia and North America as well as North Africa.
The nature of the stay. In the south of the range, the long-eared owl leads a sedentary lifestyle, in the central regions it roams. Most individuals living in the northern part of the range make seasonal flights. At the same time, some birds remain to winter in the south of our country and do not fly further. The nests of this owl can be found almost everywhere in Eurasia, excluding the northernmost and southernmost regions of the mainland.
Since August, migrations gradually acquire the character of directed movement. This is how the flight begins. The flight of a long-eared owl is never intense and stretches for almost three months. Whether the broods disintegrate before departure or whether the groups encountered on migration represent united families is still unknown.
Biotope. Woody vegetation - can be found in dark, spruce-dominated forests, however, it strongly avoids solid forests. In the north of the range, it clearly prefers open areas. It seems that she needs the forest only for nesting, but not as a place for hunting. In many cases, the bird is quite satisfied with roadside forest belts and clumps of trees in the middle of reed beds.
A long-eared owl can also lay eggs in an old crow's nest, located in the crown of a pine standing alone, for example, in a meadow. It is the presence of a large number of wastelands, clearings, pastures and fields that apparently explains the attraction of this species to the landscape changed by man - to the environs of cities and to lands included in agricultural production. Even in old parks, the long-eared owl settles infrequently, preferring young artificial plantations. It finds optimal conditions in dissected floodplain forests. And only in autumn, after raising the young on the wing, owls migrate from here to tall forest stands.
Subspecies. Variability is manifested in the variation of color features, in the details of the plumage pattern and in overall size. Individual variability is developed, which manifests itself in varying the color of the main background of the plumage and in the degree of development of the black pattern.
Breeding. The pair occupies nesting sites and starts mating. The long-eared owl's tok is regular calls alternating with a zigzag flight from tree to tree. Nuptial flight is accompanied by flapping of wings, which drop sharply and converge below. The call of the male is a leisurely two-syllable low cry "goo-goo", repeated once every five seconds. In the spring, it is often possible to hear the calling signals of two males at once. It turns out something like antiphonal singing, when the call of one male seems to be answered by the second. Moreover, the birds are clearly encouraging each other. This is easy to verify by imitating their cry. However, unlike a duet song, inconsistency and loss of rhythm are possible here. A real duet song is heard only at the height of the current. It is a repetition of a certain combination of sounds "u-gu-guu", in which the first sound ("uu"), somewhat nasal and not so low, is made by the female. The second part of the song (deaf "gu-guu") belongs to the male. In general, one duet song sounds for about four seconds, then a two-second break follows, and the screams are repeated in the same sequence.
During the nesting period, you can also hear other sounds reproduced by adult birds. Worried at the nest and attacking the enemy, both parents click their beaks, and the female also belligerently shouts "wak-kuak-kuak ...". Excited male sometimes wombly and monosyllabic "gurgles". A single signal (a shortened calling cry) is emitted by adult owls when approaching a nest or fledglings.
For nesting, the long-eared owl most often uses the old buildings of corvids. However, she often takes away new nests from crows. The height of the dwelling can be insignificant - only two or four meters, and very significant - up to twenty-five meters. When choosing a nest, preference is given to structures located on evergreen trees - pines or spruces, and especially those located near the trunk itself. On hardwoods, owls are most attracted to closed magpie nests. Owls sometimes somewhat modernize the magpie dwelling - they expand its notch and partially dismantle the roof. A rook's nest is also convenient for a long-eared owl, especially one over which another nest is built on top.
In addition to the buildings of corvids, the long-eared owl also occupies the nests of predators - honey buzzard, buzzard, black kite, hawk buzzard and others. Cases of nesting in half-hollows and hollows are not uncommon. It happens that the same nest building is used by owls for two years in a row. In the steppe regions, nestlings are sometimes hatched right on the ground, on a primitive lining of small dry blades of grass and owl feathers. In hungry years, some birds do not breed, while in "mouse" years, repeated breeding of chicks is possible. With early snow melting, the long-eared owl starts laying eggs already in the first days of April, and in the south of the range - in March. IN late spring reproduction is somewhat delayed, and fresh clutches are found until the end of May. Such plasticity of nesting behavior leads to the fact that, in general, the breeding period of this owl is significantly extended.
A complete clutch contains 4-5, often 6-7 and even 9 eggs, rarely 10. The eggs are white, ellipsoidal in shape, common for owls, their average size is 41.4X33.3 mm. Newly laid eggs weigh 27-29 grams. Egg laying occurs overnight. The female incubates. The duration of incubation, apparently, ranges from 25 to 28, and sometimes up to 30 days. It is noteworthy that eggs from the same clutch are sometimes incubated for a different number of days. We have repeatedly noted the simultaneous hatching of two and even three chicks in clutches, where incubation really began after the appearance of the first egg in the nest. If we take into account the intervals in oviposition, up to two days, then the difference in the duration of incubation of individual eggs will be very significant.
The natural waste in a long-eared owl's nest is often large. Usually one or two eggs turn out to be talkers or with a dead embryo. In addition, some chicks die in the first days of life. Ultimately, at best, two-thirds of the chicks survive to the age of one month.
A newborn owlet weighs about 20 grams and is covered with white, relatively sparse down, through which pinkish skin shines through. Eyes and ear holes are closed, and he himself seems extremely helpless. However, it is worth touching the chick, as he immediately raises his head and shakes it in search of the food he has brought. Left alone, the owlet quickly cools down and begins to squeak. On the fifth night, the owlet's weight doubles and he begins to see. In many chicks, the egg tooth falls off at this age. Week-old chicks are already making attempts to get up, itching, and when hungry, they make quiet rattling sounds. On the back, neck and shoulders of the owls, by this time, the stumps of the feathers of the second nestling outfit are already opening.
When the older chick is nine or ten days old, the female begins to fly out together with the male to search for food. In anticipation of their parents, the owlets sit in a dense pile, warming each other. The chick "pyramid" is built far from randomly. Usually an older chick sits in the center, and its head always rises above the "heap of bodies." The rest of the owlets huddle with their backs to it. The smallest chicks and eggs are at the bottom.
At the age of two weeks, the weight of an owlet almost tenfolds, and on the sixteenth night it exceeds two hundred grams. When you put a finger on a chick, it hisses menacingly and snaps its beak, and if you pick it up, it desperately resists and screeches, giving a distress signal.
In the long-eared owl, as in many owls, it is mainly the male who hunts during the nesting period. The female incubates the clutch, heats and feeds the chicks. Only when the owls get stronger, she also begins to fly out for prey. The clutch contains four or five, often six or seven, and even nine eggs. Therefore, she almost always has a "full nest" of chicks.
Already in chicks in a downy outfit, the beginnings of future "ears" are noticeable. At the age of several weeks, the owlet takes a threatening posture at the moment of danger, designed to scare away the aggressor. At the same time, orange-yellow eyes glow menacingly from a ball of gray downy feathers. In case of danger, the eared owl chick hides: its eyes are covered, the plumage is tightly pressed against the body, and the owlet itself is pulled out in a "column". At the same time, one wing, like a shield, is approaching the chest. A small crow's nest soon turns out to be cramped for owlets. After leaving it, they are located on neighboring branches.
By twenty-four to twenty-five days, the growth of owls is basically over. It is from this time that they become very enterprising: either they “hunt” for an imaginary victim in the nest, which they resemble kittens, then they reach for a branch above the nest, then they go to the edge of the nest and begin to intensively flap their wings, dispersing fluffs in the wind. And a week later, barely able to flutter to the next branch, they leave the nest. At this age, owls are incapable of long-term flight, although their main wing feathers already reach a length of seventy to one hundred and thirty millimeters. And only about a month later, namely by the fiftieth - fifty-fifth day, the development of the plumage of the wings and tail of young birds is more or less completed, and in flight they are no longer easy to distinguish from adults.
In the last decade before the chicks fly out, the parents feed them especially intensively. During the night, adult owls manage to bring twelve to fifteen voles, that is, at least two hundred grams of food. For every five grams of feed, owlets gain a gram of weight. It would seem that they get a lot of food, but the chicks are almost always ready to eat more and more. This can be judged by their antics and impatient shifting from foot to foot, most noticeable at the moment of the appearance of parents. Begging for food is constantly accompanied by a hoarse squeak, by the way, very similar to the begging voices of tawny owl chicks, although higher in tone. By the time of departure, this sound is converted into a high and shrill whistle. Compared to owl chicks, long-eared owl chicks call frequently.
Calling cries of chicks are usually heard already in the evening. Younger owlets begin to scream earlier than older ones, who also give their voice less often. For two or three hours, the chicks reproduce their calling cry a thousand, or even two thousand times. It is interesting that the noisiest fledgling often takes the role of leader when the brood moves. Calling to each other all the time, young owls roam along the forest edges.
Nutrition. When hunting in copses, meadows and other more or less open places, the long-eared owl alternates between a search flight and patient stalking of the prey from a perch. On calm, calm days, owls go hunting as soon as the sun disappears behind the forest. Until midnight, they usually fly low above the ground, immediately rushing to the noticed victim. The morning hunt is no different. However, in the darkest part of the night, as well as with the wind rustling the foliage, or with drizzling rain, accompanied by the sound of drops on the litter, owls prefer to hunt from a perch. In this case, they choose areas located in the "wind shadow" of forests, in ravines, and even under cover of buildings. As a perch, for example, lone shrunken trees, poles, hedges are used, allowing you to comfortably sit two to four meters above the ground. It should be noted that the prey of a bird on noisy nights is two to three times less than on quiet ones. In particularly strong winds or rain, the long-eared owl does not hunt at all. As the observations of V. I. Abelentsev and A. S. Umanskaya showed, in winter, during feeding, the long-eared owl flies up to one hundred square kilometers per night. Eight to ten individuals can hunt in this area at once. However, during the nesting period, adult birds get the bulk of their food, rarely moving more than half a kilometer from the nest.
During the season, a significant number of pellets accumulate in places of rest and at the perches. Their size is 4.0-7.5x2.0-2.4 centimeters. Analysis of the contents of the pellets showed that the main food of the long-eared owl is mouse-like rodents. It is their headless carcasses that most often have to be found in nests, and the remains - in pellets. Of the collected pellets, insects were found in only 0.06 percent of cases, shrews made up almost the same proportion; in one case out of a hundred, the remains of birds were found, while in the remaining 99 cases, the remains of small rodents, mainly the common vole, were found.
The long-eared owl eats about 100 g of food per day, which is approximately the weight of 3 mice.
By the way, in the Zailiysky Alatau, the main food of the long-eared owl is narrow-skulled and Tien Shan forest voles, and this owl almost does not catch pikas that live here in stony placers. The composition of the food of the long-eared owl in winter differs little from the summer - the lion's share of the diet of long-eared owls (85-92 percent of meetings) is made up of rodents - mice and voles.
Behavior. Noteworthy is the behavior of the long-eared owl in the late autumn and winter periods, namely, the tendency to form flocks, which is completely uncharacteristic of other owls. The desire to unite in communities can be caught already in the fall in young birds that keep broods for a long time and if they sometimes hunt separately, they still gather for a day in the crown of a single tree or bush. Separate flocks are very attached to one or another site and return to this chosen day place, sometimes for several days in a row. But especially owls love the company of their own kind on the migration and in winter. At night, they no longer keep together, but still most of them hunt within the same field or meadow.
Winter flocks number from five to thirty and even up to fifty individuals.
In frost, sitting on branches, owls will certainly ruffle their feathers and seem twice as thick as they really are. It is worth whistling softly or lightly knocking on a tree, as all the owls sitting on it instantly “lose weight” from fright and become thin, like sticks, from spherical ones. At the same time, they not only press the feathers of the whole body, but even tightly fitting wings are slightly lowered.
In winter, more often than at other times of the year, many individuals stay near settlements, and sometimes even in large cities.
Dimensions. Medium; the weight of the female is about 300 g, the male is 250 g.
Coloring. The dorsal side of the body varies from light brown to dark brown. The underparts are rufous, buffy or whitish with the same dark pattern. The iris is yellow or orange, the beak and claws are black.
Economic importance. Long-eared owls are very useful because they eat mainly rodents.
Literature: Pukinsky Yu. B. Life of owls. Series: The life of our birds and animals. Issue. 1. L., Leningrad Publishing House. un-ta, 1977. 240 p.
| Species name: | long-eared owl |
| Latin name: | Asio otus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| English title: | Long-card Owl |
| French title: | Hibou moyen-duc |
| German name: | Waldohreule |
| Squad: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | |
| Status: | Breeding, migratory, in most of the country - a sedentary species. |
General characteristics and field signs
The bird is of medium size (with a jackdaw), long (more than a third of the diameter of the facial disc) bunches of feathers are characteristic, on the sides of the head there are “ears”. The facial disc itself is well defined, the overall color of the plumage is uniform. It occurs mainly in forest associations, most often on the edges of forests, forest glades, in forest belts, in large city parks. During the period of departure of chicks from the nests, it is easy to detect broods by the characteristic squeak of young at twilight hours. During migrations and wintering, it sometimes occurs in small groups of up to 10 or more birds. Such groups of long-eared owls were observed by E. S. Ptushenko in Lankaran, as well as in Ukraine in the vicinity of the Kanevsky Reserve (oral communication). Adult birds, unless disturbed, never fly during daylight hours. On the contrary, when observers examine the nests, they are very active: they often fly up to a person, trying to hit him with their claws. In the evenings, with the onset of darkness in mass habitats, they can easily be attracted, especially in autumn time, mouse squeak imitation, grass rustling.
They differ from the Short-eared Owl, similar in size and color, by the presence of noticeable “ears”, as well as individual elements of behavior.
Description
Coloring. adult birds. Male and female are indistinguishable in color. The facial disc is distinctly expressed. It is outlined by the dark tops of the feathers located along its edge. Narrow, rather rigid feathers near the beak and on the chin are white; some of them with dark hair-like beards in the distal part. Feathers on the cheeks are of the same shape, but light yellowish-brown. The forehead feathers between the ear tufts have a "marble" hue. There are one or two rows of small black feathers near the eyes. The ear tufts are formed by three to five dark brown feathers, which have red on the outer (far from the nape) and light (sometimes white with black specks) longitudinal stripes on the inside of the feather. The length of these feathers is 4–6 cm. The feathers on the outer part of the facial disc are small, having a fine spotting, creating a “marbled” color.
The feathers on the neck and back are dull red with brown spots on the tops. On the chest there are yellow or red feathers (in different color morphs) with brown longitudinal spots at the tops. The belly feathers have, in addition, small spots on the fans on the sides of the central large spot. The bases of the feathers are dark brown or gray. Fluff of the same color. Flight feathers with dark brown tops, rufous outer and light to white inner webs. The feather shafts on the upper side of the wing are brown, white below. Against this background, there are 4 brown spots on the primary feathers on the outer web, and 3-4 on the inner web. Secondaries have transverse dark brown banding. The stripes expand towards the base of the feather. Wing coverts have a small brown spotting on a dirty yellow or red background, which also creates a “marbled” color. The underside of the wing is light, sometimes white. Axillary white with brown or gray down at the base of the feathers.
A brown spot stands out against a light background 5–10 cm from the wing fold. Wing formula: III-I-IV-V-VI-VII ... The outer fan is narrowed on the first flywheel, the third flywheel with a notch. The tail is rounded, consists of 12 helmsmen. The tail feathers have 6–8 transverse narrow (from 2 to 6 mm) brownish stripes. The legs are covered with light yellow or red (in various color morphs) feathers. The undertail is light, without streaks and spots. Claws and beak are light brown. Ivory mandible tip. The iris is yellow, orange or bright orange. The cere and soles of the feet are grey.
There are no geographical differences for the nominal subspecies in plumage coloration. Individual differences in comparison with the Short-eared Owl seem to be less noticeable, although there is a variation in the signs of adult plumage and size. The main tone varies from ocher-whitish to rich rusty-red; the general tone of the dorsal side is sometimes not brownish, but gray. The dark pattern (streaks) varies from dark brown to grayish brown, its development is also different: the transverse stripes on the sides are sometimes solid and regular, sometimes interrupted and rare; underwings sometimes without spots, sometimes sharply streaked, stripes on the helmsmen of different numbers, etc. The so-called light gray and red morphs are distinguished. In the population of the long-eared owl, the former is numerically predominant. The number of bright rufous individuals among the long-eared owls kept in domestic collections was 7% in males (n = 162) and 11% in females (n = 121), light gray individuals 48 and 40%, respectively. The remaining individuals are classified as "transitional" in color forms.
The first downy outfit is white, yellowing somewhat by 10-12 days of age, sometimes buffy. Mesoptile: feathers of the back, wings, chest, belly are grayish-ocher with reddish tops. Ear tufts of feathers begin to appear from 10–14 days after hatching. The facial disc also appears early, blackens from 5-7 days of age; owlets in one month old dark brown, almost black with light gaps. Flight and tail feathers are similar to similar feathers of adult birds, but are somewhat duller.
Structure and dimensions
Males are smaller than females by 1–5% in linear terms and by 12–25% in weight (Tables 13, 14). Birds from different regions do not have significant differences in these parameters.
| Region | Floor | Wing length | tail length | Collections; author, year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | lim | m | n | lim | m | |||
| Eastern Europe and Northern Asia | males | 125 | 276-309 | 294,8 | — | — | — | Dementiev, 1951 |
| females | 150 | 282-320 | 298,6 | — | — | — | Dementiev, 1951 | |
| males | 200 | 286-309 | 286 | 185 | 144-184 | 158,6 | ||
| females | 166 | 282-319 | 305,8 | 149 | 148-185 | 166,5 | Col. ZIN RAS, ZM MGU, ZM UNN, MP OGZ | |
| Kazakhstan | males | 3 | 281-301 | 294 | 3 | 131-145 | 137 | Gavrin, 1962 |
| females | 2 | 298-301 | 299 | 2 | 144-145 | 144,5 | Gavrin, 1962 | |
| Europe | males | 57 | 282-310 | 294 | 35 | 130-144 | 137 | Cramp, 1985 |
| females | 64 | 287-309 | 299 | 52 | 132-149 | 141 | Cramp, 1985 | |
| Region, author, season | males | females | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | lim | m | n | lim | m | |
| Holland December-March | 21 | 221-301 | 256 | 24 | 262-435 | 308 |
| Holland April-July | 6 | 207-268 | 233 | 8 | 235-334 | 278 |
| Holland August-November | 5 | 246-331 | 277 | 12 | 243-352 | 288 |
| Holland all year round | 33 | 151-198 | 177 | 34 | 181-225 | 202 |
| Switzerland (adults - December and March; by: Glutz, Bauer, 1980) | 14 | 220-280 | 247 | 19 | 250-370 | 304 |
| Italy (October-March) | 19 | 210-280 | 242 | 69 | 230-249 | 288 |
| Eastern Europe and Northern Asia (Dementiev, 1951; full year) | 3 | 233-257 | 243,3 | 5 | 284-330 | 303,4 |
| Eastern Europe and Northern Asia (col. ZIN RAS, ZM MGU, ZM UNN; MP OGZ; all year round) | 8 | 209-301 | 277,1 | 12 | 298-417 | 329,2 |
The length of the tarsus of males from various regions of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia according to domestic zoological collections is on average 37.9 mm with deviations from 36 to 42 mm (n = 154), females, respectively, 38.4, 34–44 (n = 109); according to Kazakhstan (Gavrin, 1962), the length of the tarsus of males is 38, 36–40 (n = 3), females, 37, 36–38 (n = 2); Europe (Cramp, 1985): for males 38.2, 36.9–40.0 (n = 20), for females 39.9, 38.4–42.3 (n = 16).
The length of the beak of males, according to domestic collections, is on average 26.9 mm, females - 25.8; for Europe, according to Cramp (Cramp, 1985), 27.4 and 28.9 mm, respectively.
The body length of males in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, according to all available materials (n = 37), is on average 358 mm with deviations from 320 to 395, females (u = 28), respectively, 383.4, 340–480. Wingspan of males (n = 34) 925.6, 860–983 mm, females (n = 38) respectively 955.7, 850–1081 mm.
Moult
The change of outfits is common for owls. The downy attire is replaced by a mesoptile, which, in turn, is the first annual attire (with the helmsmen and flywheels retained from the mesoptile). The second annual outfit is indistinguishable from the first in color and is final in this respect. Further, the change of plumage occurs annually. As a rule, it begins in June and ends in mid-November (Cramp, 1985). Starting from the second - third years of life, the primary flywheels are replaced from X to I, and the secondary ones - centripetally within two months: July and August. The molting of the contour feather occurs at a later date. According to G.P. Dementiev (1951), the birds caught in Turkmenistan in November were in fresh feathers.
Subspecies taxonomy
According to L. S. Stepanyan (1975) - three subspecies, G. P. Dementiev (1951) - four, Cramp (Cramp, 1985) - six. Howard and Moore (Howard and Moor, 1980) indicate the presence of four subspecies. In Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, the nominal subspecies is found:
1.Asio otus otus
Strix otus Linnaeus, 1758. Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 92, Sweden
The subspecies differs from the rest in a lighter plumage color. The black pattern is less developed compared to the North American subspecies, especially.
Outside Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, the following subspecies are described:
2.A. about. canariensus - in the Canary Islands.
3.A. about. tuftsi - in western Canada.
4.A. about. wilsonianus - in the south and west of Canada and in the USA.
Notes on systematics
As mentioned above, ornithosystematists do not have an established opinion on the number of subspecies of the long-eared owl. In addition to the above, note A. o. abissinicus, which lives in the highlands of Ethiopia, and A. o. graueri living in Central and East Africa. There are attempts to reduce the listed subspecies to a nominal one. All this testifies to the poor study of the taxonomy of the long-eared owl.
Spreading
Eurasia from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts. To the north in Western Scandinavia to the 66th parallel, in Finland, the Kola Peninsula, the region White Sea in the Arkhangelsk Territory to the 65th parallel. North to the east. the boundary of the range descends to the south, in the Urals, in Western Siberia and the Yenisei valley to 60 ° N. sh., after which it again rises to the north. In the Lena basin up to 63°N. sh. and the mouth of the river. Oody. To the south, the range extends to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Palestine, the middle parts of Iran, the Gissar Range, the Shakhdara Valley in the Western Pamirs, the southern parts of the Mongolian Altai, and the province of Heilongjiang. Nesting is possible in the mountains of Nanypan and along the eastern outskirts of Tibet. Northwest Africa from Morocco east to Tunisia, south to the southern parts of the Great Atlas. Islands: Canary, Azores, British, Sicily, Japanese from Hokkaido south to Central Honshu. North America from South Alaska to the east to Southern Quebec and Nova Scotia, to the north - to the southern parts of Mackenzie, Southern Manitoba, Central Ontario, to the south - to Northern California, Southern Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Virginia (Stepanyan, 1975).
In Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, there are isolated cases of finds of a long-eared owl and its presumed nesting to the north of the border described above (Teplova, 1957; Kostin, 1983; and others).
Figure 67.
Figure 68.
a - the border of the nesting area; b - the border of the wintering area; c - nesting area; d - wintering area
Migrations
The long-eared owl in the northern parts of its distribution in Eastern Europe and northern Asia is a common migrant. It was possible to observe the features of its movement when catching these birds with large Helgoland traps on the Curonian Spit. Here, in capture, they make up the bulk of the birds of this order (83.1%). First autumn migratory birds appeared in the area of the Biological Station ZIN RAS (Rossiten-Rybachy) in the middle, but mostly at the end of September. The peak of flight is at the beginning of November. On wintering grounds, birds migrating to Rybachye are distributed in Western Europe in the sector from south-southwest to west and are encountered at a distance of 40 to 1,630 km from the ringing site. Birds nesting in the north-western regions of the country in the sector from north-north-east to east at a distance of 550 to 1,750 km fly through the observation post. Spring migration - in March, in mass - in April, early May. It should be noted that the Curonian Spit is a section of the "narrowing" of flyways. On the larger territory of the range, migration occurs on a wide front (Dementiev, 1951; Gavrin, 1962; Fedyushin, Dolbik, 1967; Malchevsky, Pukinsky, 1983). According to the latest authors, the autumn migration takes place on the coast of Lake Ladoga in mid-August. And although some individuals in the vicinity of St. Petersburg remain for the winter, migratory ones disappear from the observation area by the end of August-beginning of September. The same dates of autumn migration are also given for other parts of the country - the environs of Perm, Orenburg, Krasnoyarsk and other cities, which indicates not only the prolongation (Dementiev, 1951), but also the lack of knowledge of this process throughout the range.
habitat
Favorite nesting sites - high-stem forests different breeds, but most often (Gavrin, 1962) are coniferous, with the presence of copses, glades and other open places in them. It “reluctantly climbs into the depths of forests” (Menzbier, 1895). Willingly nests in parks, gardens, forest belts different ages. In the Tien Shan, mainly in spruce forests, less often in deciduous, up to tree-like juniper forests. In the zone of forest-steppe and Kazakh highlands, it nests in birch-aspen groves, in lowlands, in river valleys, as well as in pure pine plantations. Along the river valley Volga - in floodplain forests, sometimes in thickets of bushes. A prerequisite for nesting is the presence of old nests of mainly raven birds, primarily magpies and ravens. Uses last year's unoccupied nests of diurnal predators: kite, goshawk, honey buzzard and buzzard. During periods of migration and wintering, it is also found in gardens, city parks, thickets of shrubs along the slopes of ravines, gullies, and river banks.
In mountainous areas it nests at an altitude of up to 2 thousand m, in the Central Tien Shan - up to 3 thousand m, in Transcaucasia (Armenia) - up to 2,750 m (Dementiev, 1951).
population
One of the most numerous owls in our country. In 1953, in the zone of flooding of the Gorkovskaya hydroelectric power station (in the Puchezhsky district of the Ivanovo region), seven broods of this species were found on an area of 120 hectares near the edge of the forest areas of the Volga valley. On the route along the terrace in the same area, on average, two broods were encountered per 1 km of the path (end of June). Counts of long-eared owls in typical sites in other places gave the following results. In the Shatsky district of the Ryazan region in the floodplain of the river. Vyshi in hardwood pegs in 1957–1958 and 1962 found from 0.4 to 1.1 broods per 1 km of the route (44 km of routes were covered).
In the Shilovsky district of the Ryazan region in the floodplain of the river. Oka, crossed by small oak groves and thickets of willows, in 1963, 1966, 1972–1977. - from 0.2 to 2.4 broods per 1 km of the route (173 km). In the central settlement of the Oka Nature Reserve "Brykin Bor" in 1980-1987 - 0.8-2.2 broods (42 km). In the Chernukhinsky district of the Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) region at the biological station of the Faculty of Biology of the GSU (now UNN) in 1955 - 0.9 broods (17 km). In the Menzelinsky region of Tataria, along the edge of the terrace of the Kama valley in 1956–1958, 0.2–1.6 broods (45 km). In the Zivinsky district of the Novosibirsk region in the forest belts and deciduous groves along the shore of the lake. B. Chany - 0.4 broods (40 km). In the Kupinsky district of the Novosibirsk region - 0.7 broods (100 km).
The following data can also testify to the abundance: out of 38 surveyed reserves in Russia, located within the range of the long-eared owl, it lived in 36, and nesting was established in 24 (Krever, 1985).
If in summer owls keep brood groups, then in autumn and during wintering in the southern regions they unite in large flocks. Yu. V. Averin et al. (1971) report that in 1962–1968. in one of the parks on the outskirts of Chisinau, from 10 to 40 birds wintered annually. Yu. V. Kostin (1983) in a forest belt near the city of Simferopol (Crimea) observed two large flocks of eared owls numbering about 100 birds.
Specific numbers of long-eared owls for some countries Western Europe these are: Great Britain and Ireland, according to various sources, from one to three to ten thousand pairs; France - 1,000–10,000 pairs; Belgium - about 7,000 pairs; Netherlands - 5,000–7,000 pairs; Sweden - about 10,000 pairs; Finland - 2,500 pairs. The estimate is given for the mid-seventies (Cramp, 1985).
Mortality of adult birds according to individual marking is 52% in the first year of life and 31% annually. The maximum documented life expectancy in vivo according to banding data is 27 years 9 months.
reproduction
Daily activity, behavior
Leads a nocturnal lifestyle. In the nesting period, it is a territorial species, neighboring nests are located at a distance of 100–200 m. In the post-nesting period, it often forms clusters of 5–30 birds, sometimes up to 60 or more. Wintering aggregations of owls are characterized by a highly developed sense of gregariousness and the absence of fear of humans. For daytime, such flocks choose dense thickets of shrubs, heaps of uprooted trees, groups and separate coniferous trees. There were cases of days spent by groups of owls on birches. The evening flight of birds for feeding begins 25–55 minutes after sunset and lasts about 30 minutes, but the bulk of birds singly and in groups of up to 9–10 individuals (in large clusters) scatter in the first 10 minutes.
Wintering grounds are sometimes quite permanent. There is a known case when birds kept in the same area for three winters. Settlement of wintering places occurs at different times (more often in November-December) and depends on the state of the weather, the departure of birds - in February-March.
Enemies and adverse factors. The long-eared owl is found in the diet of diurnal birds of prey and larger owls: eagle owl, owl. Nests are destroyed by mustelids: common marten, ermine. The long-eared owl has no other enemies. In the nasal cavity of the long-eared owl there are characteristic mites Sternastoma strigitis Btk., Rhinoecius oti Cooreman, Rh. bricinboricus Btc., two of which are described from birds caught in the Ryazan region (Butenko, 1984). Fleas of Ceratophillus gallinae, C. garei and other insects belonging to the following genera: Ornithomia and Monopsiilus were found in the nests of the nominal subspecies.
Nutrition
The long-eared owl is a pronounced myophage: throughout its range, small mouse-like rodents make up 80–99% of the prey composition. Dominant species, as well as a specific set of prey, are different in different places and depend on their distribution and abundance in biotopes where the owl hunts, on weather conditions, and, to a lesser extent, on the specialization of the owl in obtaining individual food objects (Anisimov, 1969). Of the rodents, some species of voles and mice are of the greatest importance in the diet of the long-eared owl. In the Upper Amur region, voles make up 80% of the encounters, of which the narrow-skulled vole accounts for 48.6% (Dymin and Pankin, 1974); in Turkmenistan, according to the analysis of 260 pellets, in the diet of an owl in winter and spring, 62% were mammals (33.5% - house mice, 13% - mole voles) and 38% - passerine birds (buckwheat finch, field sparrow, brambling, goldfinch). The proportion of birds in the diet is not constant: in December, birds accounted for 16%, in February 47% (Karaev, 1962). In the Zailiyskiy Alatau, 90% of the diet of owls consisted of narrow-skulled voles (Fedoseenko, 1968), in the Tashkent region, owls feed mainly on mice, voles and gerbils (Ayupov, 1975), in the Kherson region, rodents account for 92.7% (dominated by brownies and mounds). mice and common voles) (Abelentsev and Umanskaya, 1968).
In most parts of Europe, the main food item for long-eared owls is common voles. In places with a limited number of owls, the remains of other mass rodent species predominate in the owl pellets: on the Amrum Island - the water vole, in England - the wood mouse, in Finland - the field vole (South, 1966; Soikkeli, 1964). Squirrel, mole (Klaas, 1961), hazel dormouse, dormouse, shrews, ermine, weasel, bats (red evening bat, dwarf bat) are rarely caught (Eremchenko, Toropova, 1975). In addition to mammals, long-eared owls prey on birds, insects and, very rarely, frogs. Of the birds caught, most often sparrows, starlings and finches, even the remains of a pheasant, gray partridge and rooks were found. The proportion of birds in the diet of long-eared owls is usually 8–15%, but in winter, on severe frosty days, birds predominate in the diet (Ayupov, 1975) - up to 60%, and during migration, the proportion of birds reaches 86.2% (Hartwig and Vauk, 1969 ). Of the insects, beetles are most often eaten (May, dung beetles, ground beetles, barbels, beetles, bronze beetles) and bear beetles (Gavrin, 1962; Rumbutis, 1982).
Like other species of owls, in the eared, undigested food residues (bones, wool, feathers, chitin) burp in the form of pellets 3.3 × 1.9 mm in size. The pellets consist of 1–6 specimens. production, on average 2.7 (Cherkashchenko, 1960); according to studies in England, 31.5% of the pellets contained one copy of the prey, 51.8% - two, 12.3% - three and 4.4% - four each (South, 1966).
Controlled feeding under laboratory conditions has shown that pellets lack skeletal elements of birds and small mammals eaten by owls. Bone digestion is more intense in young owls. The pelvic bones are digested to the greatest extent (up to 80%), to a lesser extent, the skulls (up to 35%) and the lower jaws (up to 25%). In long-eared owls, the lack of bones in pellets is about 46% (Raczynski and Ruprecht, 1974).
Food is obtained in different ways - depending on the biotope and the level of noise (Zaitsev, 1973; Voronetsky, 1974). In the forest, long-eared owls most often use stalking from trees, perching on branches 3–9 m from the ground; in open areas, the predominant method of hunting is exploratory flight (Zaitsev, 1973). Short-term fluttering in the air and guarding from the ground are less common. Overflights are carried out at a height of 2-4 m, throws for prey - from 1.5-3 m from the surface of the earth. On calm, calm nights, owls hunt mainly using flight; in conditions of dark cloudy nights with occasional light precipitation, with wind gusts, they hunt from a perch. The prey of hunting on “noisy” nights is 2–3 times worse than in favorable conditions: one successful throw can account for 5–7 and even up to 10 “idle” ones (Voronetsky, 1974). During feeding, the owl flies around an area of about 100 km2 (Abelentsev, Umanskaya, 1968).
Enemies, adverse factors
The long-eared owl is found in the food of diurnal birds of prey and larger owls: eagle owl, owls. Nests are destroyed by mustelids: common marten, ermine. The long-eared owl has no other enemies. In the nasal cavity of the long-eared owl there are characteristic mites Sternastoma strigitis Btk., Rhinoecius oti Cooreman, Rh. bricinboricus Btc., two of which are described from birds caught in the Ryazan region (Butenko, 1984). Fleas of Ceratophillus gallinae, C. garei and other insects belonging to the following genera: Ornithomia and Monopsiilus were found in the nests of the nominal subspecies.
Economic importance, protection
As a relatively small species, it has no economic value. It plays a large role as one of the factors of natural selection in the populations of prey. The graceful bird, characterized by melodic "mysterious" cries coming from the copses and groves at dusk, is of undoubted aesthetic interest. Like all owls in the country, it is subject to protection. In regional hunting laws, as a rule, it is included in the list of species whose extraction is prohibited.
Today, people often prefer exotic pets and birds. For example, in addition to canaries and parrots, an owl is sometimes acquired as a pet. Most often, a person gets content long-eared owl.
Many are attracted by the cute and funny look of the bird, but very often people forget that the owl is a wild animal that needs certain conditions content. The long-eared owl, like any other species of these birds, is completely unadapted to life in captivity..
Long-eared owl: general information
The long-eared owl got its name from the large tufts of feathers that are located on its head. Long-eared owls are slightly smaller than short-eared owls. The long-eared owl is able to turn its head 180 degrees.
This species of owl lives in forests., preferably in conifers. The habitat of long-eared owls occupies almost all of Europe and northern Asia. But these owls winter in Africa. In nature, the long-eared owl feeds on rodents (mice, voles) and insects.. The long-eared owl was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
Long-eared owl: feeding
A big enough problem is the feeding of the long-eared owl. The long-eared owl is a predator that needs to be provided live food. It is best to feed the long-eared owl with small rodents or one-day-old chicks.
It is forbidden feed the owl meat (especially pork is contraindicated for them). In addition, the body of an owl is designed in such a way that wool and bones of rodents must be present in the diet. A long-eared owl should eat two mice a day, and once a week you need to arrange a fasting day. Therefore, before buying a long-eared owl, you need to consider that you will need to spend a lot of money on feeding an owl.
It should also be remembered that mice poisoned with any kind of poison should not be given to an owl, since the bird is not resistant to poisons and may die.
In nature, the long-eared owl swallows prey whole (with bones and hair), and then regurgitates the undigested remains. That's why, if you feed the bird just raw meat, then it can quickly weaken and die.
The long-eared owl drinks water twice a day, but the water must be clean and fresh, and therefore it must be changed at least twice a day.
Long-eared owl: maintenance and care
It must be remembered that when acquiring an owl, then it will be very difficult to refuse it, because this is not a kitten that can always be attached to good hands. Also, you can’t let an owl that grew up next to people into the wild, because it will die there very quickly.
A long-eared owl should not sit in a cage all the time, she needs to fly a lot, because otherwise her muscles will quickly atrophy, which very often leads to the death of a bird.
The long-eared owl must be kept in a cage at least one meter high and 1.5 meters wide, and the depth of the cage must be at least 80 centimeters.
The cage door should also be wide enough for the bird to easily jump out of it. Also, the cage must have a grate above the pallet so that the owl does not step on its droppings. The paws of a long-eared owl are very sensitive, and any wounds are very difficult to heal, so you should immediately contact a veterinarian.
Cage bars can be either metal or wood, but keep in mind that upholstered wood bars are safer for an owl, and metal ones are easier to clean.
It should also be borne in mind that in order to keep a long-eared owl, you will have to hide all the things that an owl can tear apart, stain with droppings or knock over. In addition, it is advisable to replace the tulle on the windows with sufficiently thick curtains.
It is necessary to hang all the mirrors and windows in the room, as the bird will try to fly through the window (mirror). If the long-eared owl begins to behave very restlessly, then the cage should be covered with a dense cloth. Besides, the owl is quite sociable and loves to play, so you can buy a few toys for the bird(fur toys, mice for cats, ringing bell, etc.).
Detachment - owls
Family - common owls
Genus/Species - Asio otus. long-eared owl
Basic data:
DIMENSIONS
Length: 35-37 cm.
Wingspan: 90-100 cm.
Weight: 250-300 g.
BREEDING
Nesting period: March.
Number of eggs: 4-6.
Carrying: usually 1-2 per year.
Incubation: 24-28 days.
Feeding chicks: 12-25 days.
LIFESTYLE
Habits: long-eared owl (see photo of the bird) mainly settled bird; owls from Northern Europe winter in the southern regions of their range.
Food: small rodents and birds.
RELATED SPECIES
The closest relatives of the long-eared owl are the marsh owl, which lives in open areas. The genus Asio includes 6 species, in particular the Cape owl, the striped owl.
The "ears" of this owl are just tufts of feathers that have nothing to do with the true auditory openings, which are actually located on the sides of the bird's head. A long-eared owl hears even a quiet whistle from afar.
WHAT DOES IT FEED
The long-eared owl preys mainly on various kinds of rodents - voles, shrews and, as well as small birds - finches and. Sometimes she comes across big prey, for example, and.
The male long-eared owl brings large insects to his chicks, usually beetles, including large beetles. The long-eared owl hunts mainly in fields and other open spaces. The bird silently soars in the air, never closing its eyes for one second. At night, the long-eared owl sees and hears very well, so it reacts to the slightest noise with a lightning attack.
LIFESTYLE
The long-eared owl is found in coniferous, less often in mixed forests, sometimes it nests in swamps and heather fields. The long-eared owl is a very common bird in Europe, Asia, North America and northern Africa. The northern populations of these owls spend the winter in the southern parts of the range, that is, this is one of the few species of migratory owls.
Due to the soft plumage and the special structure of the edges of the flight feathers, the long-eared owl flies almost silently. Its plumage is arranged in such a way that it dampens the sounds of a bird's flight. That is why the owl appears silently, like a shadow. In the early spring, in the forest, you can hear a male long-eared owl singing, muffledly repeating the sounds of “u-hu” at intervals of several seconds. The owl's song repertoire also includes a loud staccato cry "week" and other sounds. In the evening, long-eared owl chicks emit lingering whistles, which in their sound resemble the cat's meow and the creak of door hinges.
A long-eared owl flying during the day is very unusual phenomenon. Usually, the owl sleeps all day sitting upright on a branch near a tree trunk.
BREEDING
Spring is the time for the beginning of the mating season for the long-eared owl. Males of this species often begin to show interest in females as early as late February. The courtship dance of long-eared owls is a flight, during which males especially try, flapping their wings loudly. Long-eared owls do not build nests, preferring the habitation left by the owners - crows or squirrels. Birds only slightly change the "interior" of the nest. Sometimes long-eared owls nest in open areas, in heather thickets, laying eggs directly on the ground.
The female lays four to six eggs, which are slightly smaller than chicken ones. Incubation begins after the female lays the last egg, so the chicks in the long-eared owl's nest are the same in age. The male does not take part in incubation, but he brings food to the female, who sits on the eggs, and subsequently to the chicks.
In famine years, only the oldest, that is, the strongest chicks, survive. Newborns are covered with white down. In the following days, the down turns gray, then turns brown. The mother vigilantly monitors what is happening around, and, if necessary, leads the enemy away from the nest, who appeared nearby, pretending to be wounded.
OWL OBSERVATIONS
During the day, a long-eared owl can be seen only in exceptional cases, since due to its camouflage color it cannot be distinguished from the environment. An owl that sits motionless on a tree looks like a piece of a dry branch. Even when a person approaches, it does not fly off. But at night the bird is a very mobile, active and energetic predator. The activity of the long-eared owl is to hunt rodents.
- The long-eared owl can rotate its neck 270°.
- The viewing angle of each eye of an owl is 160 degrees.
- During the winter cold, long-eared owls gather in one place and sleep, snuggling up to each other.
- Seeing a long-eared owl during the day, small birds gather in a flock and drive the predator away - at this time of the day the owl is completely helpless.
- The eyes of owls are distinguished by the fact that they are motionless: the owl cannot mow them.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE OWL EARED. DESCRIPTION
"Ears": a characteristic feature of the species, they are formed by tufts of feathers on the bird's head. Despite their name - "ears", they are not an organ of hearing. The real ears of an owl are two small holes that are located on the sides of the head.
Head: round, with a yellow facial disc. The eyes are large, orange, the black small beak is almost invisible.
Body: medium size, slender, with long strong wings. Male and female are identical in appearance.
Plumage: the feather cover of the long-eared owl is the same color as the bark, so the bird on the tree is completely invisible. The back of the bird is dark, with bright speckles, the belly is light with transverse stripes.
- Long-eared owl habitat
WHERE Dwells
The long-eared owl is distributed in the forest zone of North America and Eurasia, with the exception of the northern territories; in some places it is found in Africa and in the mountains of Central Asia.
PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION
The species is very common in all parts of its range. The eared owl has only one enemy - man.
Long-eared owl (chick) Merlin - first bath. Video (00:06:54)
bathing for the first time
Long-eared owl (owlet) Merlin - the first day at home)))). Video (00:04:11)
the baby fell out of the nest, in the city park, everything would be fine, but the gathered crows began to peck at him
long-eared owl watches TV. Video (00:01:23)
Long-eared owl: how our owlet grew up. Video (00:02:43)
Long-eared owl - how our owlet grew up. In the previous video, I showed a long-eared owl chick that fell out of its nest on top of a cedar tree near our home in Greece. There were doubts whether he would survive. However, the mother owl turned out to be on top and look what a miracle has grown! Instead of a nest, we put a shoe box on a linden tree, and it honestly served)))
Long-eared owl and - himself in shock. Video (00:05:39)
Rozarka (owl) hunting. Long-eared owl (lat. Asio otus). Video (00:03:51)
Rozarka has recovered and has become quite active ... her hunting instincts survived and is already possible to set it free. It remains to wait for warm weather)))
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