No promises, of course_but a drive through rural Grand Forks County may produce sightings of short-eared owls. Short-eared owls are characteristic species of grasslands, and the presence of short-eared owls tells us something about the quality of habitat and the availability of prey, as well as the time of year.
For these reasons, short-eared owl sightings are always welcome. Two months ago, short-eared owls on the Christmas Bird Count provided reassurance that the birds continue to thrive here, which means the grasslands continue to provide sustenance, which for short-eared owls means small rodents, including field mice and voles.
In February, short-eared owls can be taken as a sign that spring is coming to Grand Forks County.
Short-eared owl numbers vary considerably. Although short-eared owls aren't strictly migratory, they do wander a good bit, likely as food supplies and hunting conditions dictate. Short eared-owls spend winters here in some years, and sometimes, birds coming from the north swell the local population.
This year, heavy snow cover discouraged overwintering by short-eared owls. The strengthening sunlight likely has triggered at least some short-eared owls to begin moving north. Some will go as far as the Arctic coast.
At this time of year, short-eared owls are active in daylight, and so they are easily spotted. The short-eared owl you see will most likely be airborne. Their flight is distinctive, moth like, according to some guides, with deep down strokes and powerful upstrokes.
A short-eared owl in flight seems rather pale, but with dark wing tips and a prominent mark at the elbow of the wing. The tail is short.
At close range or with good optics, you'll see the disc-shaped face and russet marks on the buff-colored underparts of the bird.
You won't see ears. The tufts of feathers that give rise to the name may have a role in directing sound to the real ears, which are asymmetrical, one lower on the head than the other. This may enable echolocation, allowing the owls to pinpoint prey.
The short-eared owl's usual hunting strategy is to fly low over promising terrain, a technique called coursing or quartering. Turns are dramatic, proving that short-eared owls are capable aerialists.
Unlike many species, they are equally capable of gliding and hovering, and they plunge or dive after prey, with the wings held over the back and the legs and claws extended. Still, these dives often are not successful; one study found that short-eared owls missed seven out of 10 attempts.
Short-eared owls sometimes hunt along roadsides, perhaps because prey is easier to locate at the edge of snow cover or thick vegetation. On a couple of occasions, short-eared owls have seemed to follow my vehicle. Perhaps they are curious or perhaps they are hungry.
Short-eared owls are not usually perch-and-pounce hunters, but occasionally, one will drop onto prey from a perch on a fence post. More than once, I've seen short-eared owls settle along the roadside, where regrettably, some are killed.
Unlike some characteristic prairie birds, short-eared owls aren't restricted to the Great Plains, as are such prairie endemics as Sprague's pipits and Baird's sparrows. Unlike snowy, great gray and hawk owls, short-eared owls are not exclusively northern birds. Nor are they limited to the Western Hemisphere, like great horned owls. Instead, short-eared owls are the most widespread species of owl, occurring in grasslands worldwide, except in Australia and in southern Africa, where they have close relatives.
Grand Forks County is a good place to find short-eared owls. Several routes lead across a grassland area that runs north and south not far west of Interstate 29. The area is poorly drained and highly saline _ bad for agriculture but attractive for short-eared owls _ but no promises, of course.
County Road 33 is my personal favorite; it takes me home, and in the last 10 days, it has led me to sightings of short-eared owls. It's generally passable _ but no promises, of course.
