The short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) is a species of typical owl (family Strigidae). Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These “ear” tufts may or may not be visible. Asio flammeus will display its tufts when in a defensive pose, although its very short tufts are usually not visible. The short-eared owl is found in open country and grasslands. The scientific name is from Latin. The genus name Asio is a type of eared owl, and flammeus means “flame-coloured”.
The short-eared owl is a medium-sized owl measuring 34–43 cm (13–17 in) in length and weighing 206–475 g (7.3–16.8 oz). It has large eyes, a big head, a short neck, and broad wings. Its bill is short, strong, hooked and black. Its plumage is mottled tawny to brown with a barred tail and wings. The upper breast is significantly streaked. Its flight is characteristically floppy due to its irregular wingbeats. The short-eared owl may also be described as “moth or bat-like” in flight. Wingspans range from 85 to 110 cm (33 to 43 in). Females are slightly larger than males. The yellow-orange eyes of A. flammeus are exaggerated by black rings encircling each eye, giving the appearance of them wearing mascara, and large, whitish disks of plumage surrounding the eyes like a mask.
Over much of its range, short-eared owls occurs with the similar-looking long-eared owl. At rest, the ear-tufts of long-eared owl serve to easily distinguish the two (although long-eared owl can sometimes hold its ear-tufts flat). The iris-colour differs: yellow in short-eared, and orange in long-eared, and the black surrounding the eyes is vertical on long-eared, and horizontal on short-eared. Overall the short-eared tends to be a paler, sandier bird than the long-eared. There are a number of other ways in which the two species the differ which are best seen when they are flying: a) short-eared often has a broad white band along the rear edge of the wing, which is not shown by long-eared; b) on the upperwing, short-eared owls’ primary-patches are usually paler and more obvious; c) the band on the upper side of short-eared owl’s tail are usually bolder than those of long-eared; d) short-eared’s innermost secondaries are often dark-marked, contrasting with the rest of the underwing; e) the long-eared owl has streaking throughout its underparts whereas on short-eared the streaking ends at the breast; f) the dark markings on the underside of the tips of the longest primaries are bolder on short-eared owl; g) the upperparts are coarsely blotched, whereas on long-eared they are more finely marked. The short-eared owl also differs structurally from the long-eared, having longer, slimmer wings: the long-eared owl has wings shaped more like those of a tawny owl. The long-eared owl generally has different habitat preferences from the short-eared, most often being found concealed in areas with dense wooded thickets. The short-eared owl is often most regularly seen flying about in early morning or late day as it hunts over open habitats.
Ndege aina ya short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) ni aina ya ndege aina ya owl (family Strigidae). Ndege aina ya owl wanaofanana na Asio wana manyoya yanayofanana na yale ya wanyama wanaonyonyesha. Vipande hivyo vya "masikio" vinaweza kuonekana au visionekane. Asio flammeus huonyesha manyoya yake anapokuwa katika hali ya kujilinda, ingawa manyoya yake mafupi sana kwa kawaida hayaonekani. Ndege aina ya short-eared owl hupatikana katika maeneo ya wazi na kwenye nyasi. Jina la kisayansi linatokana na Kilatini. Jina la jenasi Asio ni aina ya bundi mwenye masikio, na flammeus humaanisha "mwenye rangi ya moto". Panya aina ya Short-eared ni aina ya Panya aina ya Short-eared, na urefu wake ni 34cm na uzito wake ni 206g. Ana macho makubwa, kichwa kikubwa, shingo fupi, na mabawa mapana. Mdomo wake ni mfupi, wenye nguvu, wenye ndoano na mweusi. Manyoya yake yana madoa ya rangi ya kahawia na manyoya na mabawa yake yana mipaka. Sehemu ya juu ya kifua ina mistari mingi. Ndege yake huelekea kuruka kwa urahisi kwa sababu ya mapigo yake yasiyo ya kawaida ya mabawa. Ndege aina ya short-eared owl pia inaweza kuelezwa kuwa "moth au bat-like" wakati wa kuruka. Upana wa mabawa yake ni kati ya 85 na 110 cm. Wanawake ni wakubwa kidogo kuliko wanaume. Macho ya A. flammius ya rangi ya manjano-rangi ni makubwa kwa pete nyeusi zinazozunguka kila jicho, na kutoa muonekano wa kuvaa mascara, na diski kubwa, nyeupe ya manyoya kuzunguka macho kama kinyago. Katika sehemu kubwa ya eneo lake, ndege aina ya short-eared owl hupatikana pamoja na ndege aina ya long-eared owl. Wakati wa kupumzika, vifuniko vya masikio ya bundi mwenye masikio marefu hutofautisha kwa urahisi vifuniko hivyo viwili (ingawa wakati mwingine bundi mwenye masikio marefu anaweza kushikilia vifuniko vya masikio yake vikiwa tambarare). Rangi ya iris hutofautiana: manjano katika masikio mafupi, na machungwa katika masikio marefu, na nyeusi inayozunguka macho ni wima kwenye masikio marefu, na usawa kwenye masikio mafupi. Kwa ujumla ndege mwenye masikio mafupi huwa na rangi nyeupe na yenye mchanga kuliko ndege mwenye masikio marefu. Kuna aina mbili za ndege: short-eared (short-eared) na long-eared (long-eared) na short-eared (short-eared) na long-eared (short-eared) na long-eared (short-eared) na long-eared (short-eared) na long-eared (short-eared) na long-eared (short-eared) na long-eared (short-eared). Panya mwenye masikio mafupi pia hutofautiana kwa muundo na yule mwenye masikio marefu, akiwa na mabawa marefu na madogo: Panya mwenye masikio marefu ana mabawa yaliyofanana zaidi na yale ya punda mwenye masikio marefu. Kwa kawaida, ndege aina ya long-eared owl hupendelea mazingira tofauti na ndege aina ya short-eared owl, na mara nyingi hupatikana akiwa amefichwa katika maeneo yenye miti mingi. Mara nyingi mbuni huyo huonekana akiruka mapema asubuhi au usiku wa manane anapokuwa akivua wanyama katika maeneo ya wazi.