UPLANDS SPECIES SPOTLIGHT… Short eared owl, Asio flammeus.
Written by Adriana Dermetzis, Uplands Research Team.
Short-eared owls, also known as ‘shorties’, can be found in abundance on the upland moorlands in the UK. They have a striking appearance, with bright yellow eyes surrounded by dark, black circles set in a pale circular face. Their name comes from two small feathery tufts on the top of their head that can resemble ears when visible.
This species of owl is unique for many reasons, one being its uncharacteristic activity during the daytime, where it can be found hunting and foraging in long grasslands. Its diet mainly consists of small birds and, more importantly, field voles, which make up 90% of its diet. The shorties dependence on these voles can significantly affect its populations, where low vole numbers can cause low owl numbers and vice versa.
Another unique trait of the short-eared owl is its nesting habits. While other owl species typically nest in places like tree cavities or high places at least 10 to 50 feet above the ground, shorties are ground-nesting, creating their nests in bare scrapes on the ground. To attract females during the breeding season, males can be seen displaying with a flourishing flight that can last up to an hour over potential nesting sites, but once successful, return to their reserved behaviour.
Short-eared owls are also nomadic, often travelling to new areas when vole numbers are low in their current habitat. Within England, shorties travel to lowland areas of central and southern England over winter, such as Norfolk, then return to upland areas like the North Pennines over the summer to breed. Some individuals, however, have been found to travel to the UK for winter from as far as Russia.
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Maintain open moorland and grassland habitats which are favoured by short-eared owls. Specifically in grassland ecosystems, shorties favour vegetation that is 30-90 cm tall.
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Control generalist predators to help reduce nest and chick predation, increasing recruitment into the shortie population.
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Provide suitable habitats for field voles as these are the most important food source for short-eared owls and are a significant factor controlling population fluctuations.
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Provide suitable nesting sites managing areas to encourage different sward heights and grassland species.
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Remove unnecessary fences which can result in injuries and even mortalities if a collision occurs. If such structures cannot be removed, add markers to increase visibility and reduce the likelihood of a collision.