Chicagoist: Whoooo Doesn't Love Owls?

Ferdy

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 08:19:26 -0600

Welcome to Chicagoist, Karla. It's nice to have a real expert talk about these birds. I'm a birder of average skills, and I was fooled, too. I haven't seen many Long-eareds either, so there would be no way for me to have these subtle differences down. I appreciate the primer. I'll use it on my next owling trip.

karlaowl

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:36:02 -0600

Actually, that nice wintery owl photo is a Long-eared Owl. Long-eared Owls do look a LOT like Great Horned Owls, but Long-ears are much smaller (nearly impossible to tell in a photo), have a thinner body (but this guy looks poofed up due to the cold), and a more "vertical" face (I always say Long-ears look more like Bert and Great Horneds have a wider face like Ernie.) The ear tufts on a Long-eared Owl also attach more toward the middle of the top of the head, and they have less of a "forehead" than Great Horneds. Pretty subtle differences, but I'm the Director of the Houston Nature Center in MN and have had a permanently injured Great Horned Owl for nine years, so it comes a little easier to me. Karla Kinstler Houston, MN www.owlstuff.com

Spook

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 16:26:08 -0600

"chillaxing" Nice!