Short-Eared Owl in a Tree Jan. 2025

I have been catching every illness it seems coming into work since December. Therefore, I have not made any trips and have stayed close to home. If I can see an owl near a road I drive on, all the better. Luckily I have seen, two since December from a road. This short-eared owl was close to a road.

It was near a bird feeder that was active and a lot of small birds were raising cain in the woods around the owl. I was wondering if it would go after birds visiting the bird feeder. Someone has told me they don’t, however by logic it would be a possibility as barred, great horned, and snowies will get a bird. According the the NYSDEC website:

Short-eared owls are the most diurnal (active during the day) of all the northeastern owls. They are most often observed in the late afternoon and at dawn or dusk. These birds eat primarily small mammals, but they occasionally take smallbirds, and the young sometimes eat insects. 

If it chooses to land on a tree in good sight of a bird feeder, it is watching the bird feeder, it is probably contemplating a bird for dinner.

You usually do not see the ear tufts on the short-eared owl. I thought it could have been because of the wind, however, according to National Park Service website:

“The ear tufts of the short-eared owl (Asio flammeus, family Strigidae) are inconspicuous until the owl becomes defensive or curious, at which point the whole facial expression changes: feathers around the nose may flatten and eyes narrow slightly.”

It seemed to be both curious about the bird feeder and defensive as many little birds nearby were expressing their displeasure at its presence. Have a great week!