What does the Long-eared Owl eat?

The Long-eared Owl's diet shapes where and when you'll find it. Understanding what it eats helps you predict where to look.

Diet overview

Carnivore, primarily small mammals (voles, mice, shrews, young rats), occasionally small birds, bats, and insects.

How it forages

Strictly nocturnal hunter. Hunts primarily by flying low over open ground, using its acute hearing to locate prey in dense vegetation or under snow. It has exceptionally sensitive asymmetrical ears, allowing precise triangulation of sound. Prey is typically caught with its talons. Pellets (regurgitated indigestible remains) are often found beneath roosts.

When it feeds

Strictly nocturnal, active from dusk to dawn. Roosts silently and cryptically during the day in dense cover.

Explore the Long-eared Owl