The long-eared owl is a medium-sized owl found throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere. As their name suggests, long-eared owls are characterized by their long, tufted ears. These distinctive ear tufts are thought to assist the owl in camouflage amongst vegetation. Long-eared owls inhabit a variety of wooded areas, from coniferous and deciduous forests to scrublands. Their nesting habits are closely tied to the habitat types found within their range. Understanding where long-eared owls nest can provide insights into their habitat requirements and breeding ecology.
Nest Site Selection
Long-eared owls typically nest in dense vegetation that provides concealment from predators and weather. They often select abandoned nests built by crows, magpies, squirrels and other animals rather than building their own nests. Suitable nest platforms include tree cavities, old raptor nests, tree crutches, stumps, snags, clumps of mistletoe, and human-made structures. Dense coniferous trees, such as spruce, pine and fir, are most commonly used for nesting throughout their range. However, long-eared owls are adaptable and will use a variety of deciduous and mixed woodlands as well. The height at which long-eared owls nest can range from just a few feet above ground to as high as 65 feet up in a tree. But most nests are found between 10-30 feet high. They prefer nest sites with good cover above and around the nest to provide protection.
Nest Sites in Different Regions
Eastern North America
In eastern and central North America, long-eared owls nest primarily in coniferous or mixed forests. They often nest in dense spruce or pine stands adjacent to open areas that are used for foraging, such as grasslands, meadows or wetlands. Mature forest stands with patchy, uneven structure provide the cover that long-eared owls require for nesting in this region. Some key nesting habitats include:
– Spruce-fir forests: Spruce and balsam fir trees provide excellent cover. Bogs and forest wetlands with spruce and tamarack trees are also used.
– Pine barrens: Open pine forests with dense understories of shrubs or young pines support breeding.
– Evergreen plantations: Christmas tree farms and regenerating pine plantations mimic natural conifer stands.
– Mixed forests: Especially those with conifer understories or dense thickets of young trees.
Western North America
In the western parts of their range, long-eared owls nest in montane conifer forests as well as desert scrublands. Large expanses of sagebrush and other arid shrublands provide nesting sites in otherwise open areas of the west. Some key habitats include:
– Douglas fir forests: Mature Douglas fir trees and deformed trees with mistletoe infections are used.
– Pinyon-juniper woodlands: Nest amongst dense, scrubby juniper trees in arid parts of the southwest.
– Mixed montane forests: Those with coniferous components, such as pine, spruce or fir trees.
– Sagebrush scrublands: Shrubby vegetation provides cover in treeless areas of the west.
Northern North America
The dense boreal forests that dominate Canada and Alaska provide excellent nesting habitat for long-eared owls. Coniferous trees like spruce, fir, pine and tamarack are most often used. Key northern nesting sites include:
– Spruce-tamarack bogs: Tamarack snags and downed spruce trees over wetlands offer nest spots.
– Mixed and conifer forests: All types of boreal forest, especially mature stands with clearings.
– Forest-tundra transition zones: Stunted spruce trees along the tree line provide cover above the open tundra.
Nest Characteristics
Once they’ve selected a nest site, long-eared owl pairs modify existing platforms to suit their needs. Nests are lined with soft materials and are relatively large, up to 2 feet across. Some details:
– Nests are built up with twigs, branches, bark strips, needles, grass and feathers.
– The interior of the nest is lined with fresh greenery, especially in spring.
– Long-eared owls add fresh greenery throughout nesting as camouflage and insulation.
– Old nests are often reused and added to year after year.
– Nest dimensions range from 15-24 inches across and 3-6 inches tall.
– Nests are placed on a platform of sticks and branches for structural support.
– Cavity nests usually have little lining or greenery inside beyond some bark flakes.
Timing of Nesting
The timing of nest site selection and egg laying depends on the region:
Region | Nest Building Period | Egg Laying Period |
---|---|---|
Northeastern NA | Late March – April | April – May |
Midwestern NA | Late March – April | March – May |
Western NA | Late March – May | April – June |
Northern NA | May | May – July |
– Long-eared owls are early nesters, initiating nests before leaves emerge.
– 2nd year birds nest later on average than older birds.
– Southern owls nest earlier than those further north.
– Renesting may occur if a first nest fails, extending breeding season.
– Nest reuse can lead to early occupation of former nests.
Preferred Habitats Across Range
Long-eared owls use a variety of habitat types depending on what’s available across their widespread breeding distribution:
Region | Primary Nesting Habitats |
---|---|
Northeastern NA | Spruce-fir forests, pine barrens, mixed forests with conifers |
Southeastern NA | Pine and mixed forests, cypress swamps |
Midwestern NA | Conifer plantations, mixed forests near wetlands |
Western NA | Montane conifer forests, sagebrush shrublands |
Southwestern NA | Pinyon-juniper woodlands |
Northern NA | Boreal spruce-fir forests, forest-tundra edges |
This habitat flexibility allows long-eared owls to occupy diverse wooded settings across North America. Their requirements are relatively simple – a concealed platform nest amidst dense vegetation, often conifers, coupled with proximity to open foraging spaces. By exploiting natural structures like tree cavities and old raptor nests, long-eared owls can establish nesting territories in both pristine and disturbed habitats. This adaptability likely aids in the owls’ widespread distribution across North America.
Threats to Nest Sites
Although long-eared owls use a broad range of nesting habitats, they face a number of threats to secure nesting across their range:
– **Habitat loss** – Logging, land clearing and development remove and fragment the dense wooded habitats required for nesting.
– **Disturbance** – Human activities near nests during the breeding season may cause nest abandonment.
– **Climate change** – May alter forest composition and distributions, especially in northern ecosystems.
– **Severe weather** – Storms and spring cold snaps can kill nestlings and incubating females.
– **Nest predation** – Squirrels, corvids and other animals may depredate nests.
– **Nest competition** – More aggressive birds may take over potential nest cavities.
– **Invasive species** – Non-native insects and diseases have damaged and killed nest trees.
– **Pesticides** – May reduce prey and accumulate in tissues to impact survival and reproduction.
Protecting intact forests and woodlands across a diversity of landscapes is key to sustaining populations of nesting long-eared owls. Their early breeding season also warrants minimizing human disturbances in wooded habitats during spring months when females are incubating eggs. As cavity nesters, they also rely on standing dead trees (i.e. snags) which should be maintained wherever possible. Given the strong site fidelity of long-eared owls, preserving known nesting areas will provide recurring breeding sites year after year.
Conclusion
Long-eared owls are resourceful in their nest site selection, using tree cavities, canopy branches, deformed trees, mistletoe platforms, raptor nests, tree snags and human structures across a variety of forest types, woodlands and scrublands. However, their reliance on dense vegetation for concealment and protection makes them vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation. Conservation of intact, mature forests across various elevations and latitudes will benefit breeding populations of these adaptable yet specialized owls. As mammals drastically shape vegetation through land use change, managing wooded habitats in a way that provides suitable long-eared owl nesting cover may determine whether these evocative birds grace North American forests with their presence for centuries to come.