Short-eared Owl 229 



SHORT-EARED OWL 



Called also: Marsh Owl; Meadow Owl 



This owl, and its long-eared cousin, wear the 

 tufts of feathers in their ears that resemble harm- 

 less horns. Unlike its relatives, the short- 

 eared owl does some hunting by daylight, 

 especially in cloudy weather, and like the 

 marsh hawk it prefers to live in grassy, marshy 

 places frequented by meadow mice. On the 

 other hand, the long-eared owl respects family 

 traditions, and goes about only after dark. 

 **It usually spends the day in some evergreen 

 woods, thick willow copse or alder swamp, 

 although rarely it may be found in open places," 

 says Dr. Fisher. " The bird is not wild and will 

 allow itself to be closely approached. When 

 conscious that its presence is recognised, it sits 

 upright, draws the feathers close to its body, 

 and erects the ear-tufts, resembling in ap- 

 pearance a piece of weather-beaten bark more 

 than a bird." The long and the short of it is, 

 that few people, except professional bird stu- 

 dents, know very much about these or any other 

 owls, for few find them by day or forsake their 

 couches when they are abroad. We may take 

 Dr. Johnson's advice and *' give our days and 

 nights to the study of Addison," but few of us 

 give even a part of our days and less of our nights 

 to the study of the birds about us. 



