Granddad’s Camera
Short-eared owl, as it appears in the game

No.062 · Birds · Rare

Short-eared owl

Asio flammeus

A yellow-eyed owl that hunts by day, quartering low over open ground on long, buoyant wings.

When to look

April to August, mostly at dawn, day and dusk.

Time of day

Best time
Skomer, April–July, hunting in the afternoon and around dusk; chicks in late June.
Where in the game
the Pembrokeshire coast (island)
Size
34–43 cm
Wingspan
85–110 cm
Weight
206–475 g
Lifespan
Oldest ringed British bird 6 years 7 months (BTO, record from 1963)
Population
About 620 breeding pairs in the UK (BTO, 2007–11); the latest estimate is 620–2,200 pairs (APEP4). Winter numbers are boosted by breeders from northern Europe (BTO)
Status
Amber list, UK Birds of Conservation Concern (BTO). Its breeding range has almost halved since 1968–72

Diet

Mainly voles and other small mammals; on Skomer, the island's abundant voles

Habitat

Open grassland, moorland, dunes and coastal grass

Breeding

Nests on the ground: clutch 4–7 eggs, incubated for about 26 days by the female; chicks fledge after 25–31 days. On Skomer three pairs bred in 2024

Field signs

  • A pale owl gliding low over bracken and grass in daylight
  • Yellow eyes ringed with black
  • Tiny 'ear' tufts that are hard to see
  • Wing-clapping display flights in spring

Did you know?

  • Short-eared owls hunt in daylight, unlike most owls.
  • On Skomer, three pairs bred in 2024; the peak autumn count was eight birds on 7 November.
  • It is a nomadic breeder, nesting in one place one year and somewhere entirely new the next (BTO).

Moments worth waiting for

  • Wing-clapping display April to May, dusk and dawn
    A short-eared owl climbs into the air, claps its wings and dives in an ancient courtship flight.

Photo tip

Sit still at the edge of a field or bracken at the end of the afternoon and let the owl quarter past. Use 400–600 mm, 1/2000 s and continuous focus. A low, dusk-glow sun gives lovely light on the wings.

Be a good naturalist

Short-eared owls nest on the ground, so keep to the path; a nest hidden in bracken is easy to step on. Never flush a bird to get it in the air, and follow the wardens' advice.

The law

Not on Schedule 1 (no licence is needed to disturb it), but all wild birds and their nests are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Ground-nesting owls are easily disturbed; it is on Annex 1 of the EU Birds Directive and a Rare Breeding Birds Panel species since 2010

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