Short-eared owl in flight, 2018 (photo by Steve Gosser)

2 March 2026

Short-eared owls (Asio flammeus) come to southwestern Pennsylvania for the winter to hunt voles, mice and other small mammals at recovered strip mines and tall grass fields. Several owls will hunt particularly “vole-y” fields together, coming out at dusk or even during the day.

This winter they’ve been reliably seen at the Volant Strips in Lawrence County and near Worthington in Armstrong County where Dave Brooke photographed this one on 25 February.

Short-eared owl, Armstrong County, 25 Feb 2026 (photo by Dave Brooke)

Where are their “ears?” Short-eared owl ear tufts are so small you might not see them but you can recognize the bird by its large head and flight behavior. With long wings relative to their bodies (top photo), their flight is moth-like as they course over the fields looking for prey.

Did you know they have a worldwide distribution? Short-eared owls occur on every continent except Australia and Antarctica and live on remote islands including Hawaii, Galapagos and Azores. They can fly long distances over open ocean and sometimes land on ships hundreds of miles from shore(!).

Short-eared owl range map from Wikimedia

They “bark” to each other while hunting together

Short-eared owl, Armstrong County, 25 Feb 2026 (photo by Dave Brooke)

Their bark is very harsh when upset. This next recording has two owls chasing away a Northern Harrier and then a Rough Legged Hawk.

Short-eared owls nest on ground in tall grass, tundra or marshes but you won’t find them easily in PA. They are such a rare breeding species here that eBird does not show their breeding locations on the PA map. Thus we are unlikely to see their courtship display in which the males circle up, hoot, dive and wing-clap.