SHORT-EARED OWLS
The ORI has completed a Short-eared Owl study conducted in Massachusetts and Montana. The study uncovered interesting natural history and habitat associations of the Short-eared Owl. Among the findings were Short-eared Owl adaptations that reduce predation. For example, although these owls nest on the ground and are vulnerable to mammalian predation, the eggs hatch asynchronously (in the order in which they are laid). This results in asynchronous growth and nestlings of various ages and sizes in the nest. At two weeks (about two to three weeks before they can fly), the oldest nestlings disperse from the nest on foot. This early dispersal increases the chances of survival of the young, if a predator were to discover the nest and eat the younger nestlings.
The results of this study, along with previously published literature by the ORI on the Short-eared Owl, make up the 1993 publication of the Short-eared Owl species account for the Birds of North America Project. The project is sponsored by the Academy of Natural Sciences and the American Ornithologist's Union.
