Long-eared Owl

Asio otus

no photo — written note
photo: Wikimedia Commons
BirdsSensitive species

A slender roost-loving owl of dense conifers, easy to miss and easy to disturb.

Field facts
HabitatDense pine and spruce plantings near open ground
RangeStatewide in winter; rare breeder
When to lookNovember to March
StatusState species of special concern (Indiana DNR / IUCN Red List)
Look-alikesGreat horned owl — much bulkier

Field note: Several may roost together in one conifer, standing tall and thin.

Lesson
Watching responsibly

Never share roost locations publicly; roosting owls flush and rarely return.

This species is treated as sensitive: locations are generalised to county level and never routed to directly.

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