I wanted to pass this video along since I was surprised at the similarity in flight patterns between Long-eared and Short-eared Owls. I’d never seen a LEOW in flight in the open until this week. I thought the flight of the SEOW was unique.
I thought I had a SEOW (rare) at Eagle Island SP in Ada County earlier this week until I was asked if I had considered LEOW. I ran across the following video. 
It flew across the field with a Cooper’s Hawk harassing it (explaining the unusual behavior of LEOW flying during the day). It then disappeared into the Russian Olives (unusual for SEOW) until Magpies notified me of its presence. I got a brief look but just enough to know it wasn’t a Barn Owl. I noticed it had dark comma-shaped marks near the wrist of the underwing but LEOW and SEOW have this. 
I wanted to pass this along to help others not make the same mistake. You won’t run across this very often. It makes me wonder if I misidentified SEOW one early morning at Blacks Creek a couple years ago now knowing this.
There’s always something new to learn in the birding world!
Separating Short-eared and Long-eared Owls

|
|
|
| | |

|

|
|
| |
Separating Short-eared and Long-eared Owls

As difficult species go, the Long and Short-eared Owl pairing are amongst the most challenging to identify, espe…
|

|

|