A SILENT hunter that works under the cover of night and is extremely elusive during the day, the long-eared owl is one of the most majestic owls in the UK.

The long-eared owl (often referred to as ‘LEO’) is a medium-sized bird with a wingspan of 95cm. It has mottled orange-brown feathers that are incredibly soft to touch, striking orange eyes and large ‘ear tufts’ which are easily mistaken for the bird’s actual ears.

Normally, the tufts stay flattened, unless the owl becomes alarmed and raises them. When the tufts are flattened, the long-eared owl can easily be confused with the short-eared owl (commonly called ‘SEO’).

The best way to tell them apart is to look at the colour of the bird’s eyes – the SEO’s eyes are yellow, whilst the eyes of the long-eared owl are orange. The SEO is also paler in colour.

The flight feathers have tattered fringes which, alongside a downy surface, mute the sound of flapping wings to make the LEO a silent flier.

LEOs also have incredible hearing, thanks to their asymmetrically placed ear openings and large, sound-catching facial disks.

The owls share 3D, or ‘binocular’, vision with us humans. This provides them with acute depth perception, which comes in handy when the birds need to gauge distance and to time their attacks.

The silent flight, perfect hearing and eyesight are a good combination for a successful hunt.

LEOs feed mostly on small mammals, particularly voles; however, during the winter when food supply decreases, they happily prey on small birds. When hunting, the owl sweeps through open country and flies in a zig-zag pattern, often hovering and fluttering whilst searching for prey. Once the hunter has spotted its victim, it swoops down and bites the back of the prey’s head to immobilise it.

After the prey is swallowed whole, the owl regurgitates the indigestible parts in the form of a pellet – a grey, oval-shaped object made of fur, feathers and bones. Some bird enthusiasts like picking through the owl’s pellets to learn about the bird’s diet.

The LEO is the most nocturnal of all the owls in the UK. It also camouflages well amongst bark and leaves. Although it is not easy to spot, you can hear its famous hoo-hoo-hoot calls, especially during spring and summer. The hoot of the male can be heard from half a mile away!

My first experience with LEOs was in Edinburgh. It taught me how to behave around these birds and what to look out for. Now, several years later, I came across another family of LEOs, but this time in East Linton.

A long-eared owl in East Linton (Image: Zaneta Threlfall)

Initially, I heard a squeaky, high-pitched call coming from the coniferous woods.

After tracing the noise, I came across a long-eared owl chick calling for its parents. I stayed behind a tree and looked around. I wanted to make sure I was nowhere near the nest. As there was an open field right behind, I assumed it could be used by the adults as their hunting ground, so I backed off and stood to the side. It is important not to stand between their hideaway and the hunting territory, so that the birds can hunt and freely feed their youngsters.

I am extremely vigilant during the breeding season as even the smallest disturbance can lead to a nest failure! I carefully picked my spot and waited to see what would happen next. It was worth the effort, standing in gigantic nettles, as I was spoiled with the views of an adult hunting and feeding a vole to its chick.

Speak to you next time!

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