Long-Eared Owl (Asio otus, State Species of Special
Concern, Forest Service Sensitive Species) This owl requires
riparian habitat, including desert washes and oases, but also uses
live oak and other dense thickets. It may be found in
high-elevation, dense conifer stands. Long-eared owls have nested
at the east end of Big Bear Valley and are also known to occur at
Mojave River, Crowder Canyon and Cajon Wash. This species is known
to be rather more gregarious than most owls (Grinnell and Swarth
1913).
Long-eared owl (Asio otus)
Identification Tips:
Length: 13 inches
Wingspan: 39 inches
Large, nocturnal, predatory bird
Large, rounded head with long ear tufts
Yellow eyes
Rusty facial disks
Gray-brown upperparts with small black and white markings
White underparts with black cross-shaped markings
Sexes similar
Often roosts in dense conifers
Similar species: The Long-eared Owl is similar to the Great
Horned Owl but has cross-shaped, not barred, markings on the
underparts and is smaller. Other species of similarly-sized owls
lack large ear tufts. The Long Eared Owl Lives in this canyon.
Maybe you can spot one.
