Short-eared Owl

Asio flammeus

no photo — written note
photo: Wikimedia Commons
BirdsSensitive species

A grassland owl that hunts by day in winter, flying moth-like over reclaimed mine land.

Field facts
HabitatGrassland, reclaimed mines, marsh
RangeMostly south-western and central Indiana in winter
When to lookNovember to March
StatusState endangered as a breeder (Indiana DNR / IUCN Red List)
Look-alikesNorthern harrier — longer tail, white rump

Field note: It nests on the ground, unusual among Indiana owls.

Lesson
Watching responsibly

Watch from the road at dusk; entering roost fields flushes birds.

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

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