LONG-EARED OWL 



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HE Long-eared Owl is a fairly common and pretty evenly- 

 distributed resident throughout the British Islands, 

 especially in those districts which abound in pine-woods. 

 It is partially a migrant, and great numbers of them come 

 to our eastern coasts, during the autumn, from Scandinavia. 

 It is not met with in the Outer Hebrides, and is only an 

 occasional visitor to the Orkneys and Shetlands. 



The Long-eared Owl loves the woods of spruce and Scotch firs, and has 

 greatly extended its range since the plantations of these trees have increased 

 in numbers. It is quite as much at home in the little plantations among the 

 cultivated fields, as it is in the large forests of pines in some of our northern 

 counties. It is strictly a nocturnal bird, and rarely leaves its retreat until dusk ; 

 during the day it may be seen sitting in some thick fir or ivy-covered tree on a 

 branch close against the trunk, and its whereabouts are often betrayed by the crowd 

 of Chaffinches and Tits which collect to chatter and scold at the thief of the night. 

 The food of the Long-eared Owl consists of voles, mice, rats, beetles, and 

 insects, and occasionally small birds, which it catches as it flies noiselessly past 

 their roosting-places. The feathers of the victims are often found among the 

 pellets at the nest or where the Owl roosts. The cry of this bird is a curious 

 noise impossible to describe on paper sounding rather like the distant 

 yelping of a dog; it has also a wailing cry, somewhat like a cat mewing. The 

 old birds are rather silent, as a rule, but the young may often be heard calling 

 about the woods soon after they have learned to fly. 



The Long-eared Owl is a very early breeder, eggs being generally laid in 

 March or the beginning of April, often when the snow is still on the ground, 

 but late nests are very often met with. The bird generally takes possession 

 of some deserted Crow's or Wood Pigeon's nest, and patches it up to suit its 

 requirements, sometimes adding a lining of wool and feathers; very often, 

 however, the nest is unlined, save by the few feathers of small birds which 

 have been brought there for food, and quantities of pellets. The nest of this 

 bird is very hard to discover, as no amount of shouting or hammering on 

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