Long-eared Owl

The Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) is a slender, woodland owl named for its prominent head tufts — which are not ears at all, but feather crests used for display and camouflage that help it resemble a broken branch when perched upright. It has striking deep orange eyes and mottled brown plumage that blends seamlessly against tree bark, making it surprisingly difficult to spot despite being roughly woodpigeon-sized. It is our most nocturnal British owl, hunting silently over clearings and fields for voles and mice, and unlike most owls it often roosts communally in winter, with groups of up to 20 or more gathering in dense evergreen shelter. It does not build its own nest, instead taking over the old stick nests of crows, magpies or buzzards in conifer woodland. UK residents are joined each autumn by migrants from Scandinavia and eastern Europe, and it remains thinly distributed across Britain, being far more common in Ireland where it faces no competition from the Tawny Owl.