Long-Eared Owls

Long-Eared Owls


Names
Common Name:	Long-Eared Owls
Scientific Name:	Asio otus
Appearance
Dark brown or gray with bright, orange faces and yellow or amber eyes.
Behavior
Long-Eared owls typically hunt at dawn or dusk. Unlike most owl species, Long-Eared owls do not claim territorial hunting ground. They completely avoid treeless areas.

Long-Eared Owls (Asio otus) are medium-sized owls native to North America and the "Paleartic" (Europe and northern Asia.) They are typically agile and are often in a position of fighting throughout the series. They are sometimes called the Northern Long-Eared Owl, the Lesser Horned Owl, or the Cat Owl.

Information[]

Description[]

Long-Eared Owls are very similar in appearance to that of a Great Horned Owl. The Long-Eared Owl, however, is much smaller in size, typically 12-16 in (31-40 cm) in total length. They are often compared in similar size to a Barn Owl. They weigh between 5.6-16.3 oz (160-435 g). The Long-Eared Owl can range in a very tawny or tan coloring to a darker gray coloring. Females are larger and heavier, while males are paler in color. They have prominent ear tufts and their wingspan is relatively large for their size, between 34-40 in (86-102 cm).

The Abyssinian Owl (Asio abyssinicus), also called the African Long-Eared Owl, and the Madagascar owl (Asio madagascariensis), also called the Madagascar Long-Eared Owl, were once considered the same species, but have since been made their own species.

The Abyssinian Owl is similar in appearance to the Long-Eared Owl, but darker, larger, and with more powerful talons. It ranges in length from 40-44 cm (16-17 in).

The Madagascar Owl ranges in size between 40–50 cm (16–20 in) in length, making it the largest owl in Madagascar.

Ecology[]

They prefer habitats with open spaces: open woods, rangeland, meadows, forest edges, bogs, orchards, even city gardens and cemeteries. They are found throughout North America, Eurasia, the Middle East and northern Africa.

Their call is a low "hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo" repeated 10 to 200 times, every 2 or 3 seconds.

When resting, they will stretch out to look like a tree branch.

Unlike most owls, during the non-breeding season, Long-Eared Owls will roost in large groups.

The Abyssinian Owl is native to east Africa. The male's call is a deep, drawn-out, disyllabic "who-woohm" that rises in pitch and repeats. The female's call is similar, but higher pitched and softer.

The Madagascar owl is endemic to Madagascar. It inhabits various woodland areas. Its call is usually a series of barks, varying in pitch and volume, but sometimes it will utter a series of more hoot-like notes, described by some as "ulooh".

Diet[]

Strictly nocturnal, their activity begins at dusk. They fly low to the ground, listening for prey. Once spotted, it is pounced on immediately and quickly swallowed. They feed primarily on mammals, such as voles and mice, but also moles, bats, and rabbits. Small birds will be taken on the wing. They occasionally take larger birds like grouse or Screech Owls, and sometimes insects, frogs, and snakes.

Being very maneuverable, they can fly through dense brush. They will hover moth-like while hunting for prey.

Reproduction[]

They nest almost exclusively in old stick nests of other birds, but will rarely use rock crevices, tree cavities, or open ground. When defending the nest, they will either perform a display of spreading their wings to appear larger, or they will feign injury to lead the threat away from the nest. Occasionally they will attack viciously, aiming for the face and throat. The clutch size ranges from 3-8, incubation lasts 25-30 days. While many are killed due to shooting or vehicle collision, their main natural predators are Great Horned Owls, Barred Owls, and raccoons.

Trivia[]

The Long-Eared Owl species name otus refers to a small, eared owl.
The Abyssinian Owl species name abyssinicus means "from Abyssinia" (modern day Ethiopia and Eritrea).
The Madagascar Owl species name madagascariensis is Latin for "from Madagascar".

Significant Long-Eared Owls[]

History[]

Spoiler Warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

In the Books[]

The Capture[]

Jatt and Jutt, two Long-Eared Owl twins, are close followers of Skench. They would "owlnap" Soren and many other owlets to deliver them to St. Aegolius. They would also enforce the rules and escort owlets to The Glaucidium where they would Moon Blink owlets.

Jatt and Jutt were patrolling in Kuneer when they attacked Soren, Gylfie, Twilight, and Digger. They were killed by Zan and Streak.

Ork is mentioned as a cousin of Jatt and Jutt and was also an enforcer of St. Aegolius who was killed by Grimble. Before his demise, he had a relatively large following with which he competed with Skench and her followers for the position of Ablah General after the former one died.

The River of Wind[]

Tengshu is the first blue owl the Chaw of Chaws met upon arriving in the Middle Kingdom. He explained that they were expecting them, and mentioned how his mother, Bao, had been to the Southern Kingdoms. He informed them of many other things about the kingdom, including Panqua Palace. Later, when Eglantine and Primrose arrive, he quickly directs them to the palace, while he prepares to fight. When the Pure Ones show up, he utilizes the Breath of Danyar to kill a few of them.

Exile[]

Tengshu was feeling uneasy ever since Orlando left the palace. He felt something might be wrong, so decided to follow his mother's example and head for the Southern Kingdoms. Once there, he managed to find his way to The Brad, and began teaching the Greenowls the way of Danyar.

As the Greenowls fly to the great tree, Coryn and Kalo join them, and then Soren and Tengshu explain the plan. As the battle waged through the tree, The Striga grabbed Bell and made everyone drop their weapons. Tengshu rescued Bell by using the Breath of Qui, the one weapon that could never be dropped, to strike The Striga and dislodge her.

The War of the Ember[]

Tengshu stayed at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree to teach the new Danyar Chaw. He was there with Otulissa and Cleve when Dumpy arrives to tell them what he saw.

Coryn then asks Tengshu to fly back to the Middle Kingdom to ask the H'ryth if they could keep the Ember of Hoole there. He does so, but the H'ryth refuses. Tengshu instead convinces the H'ryth that they can't just sit in isolation. Many more dragon owls left the palace and joined The Striga, so he explained that if they did nothing, then their kingdom would soon also be at risk.

He later meets the Guardians at Wolf's Fang and tells them of the rejection, and how the dragon owls are going to be broodies for the hagsfiend eggs. Afterwards, he and several others joined the War of the Ember.