2020 Christmasville Limited Edition - 5x9 Oil on Cedar
 
The short-eared owl is not similar to the long-eared owl in many ways other than having barely, if at all, visible ear tuffs.  Unless you live in the northern US or Canada, look for this owl during winter.  He may be found in open fields, grassland, or even at airports.  He sits on the ground or flies low and erratically as he hunts - often covering great distances in a crisscrossing or roughly circular route.  This owl is one of the species who seems to have benefited from strip-mining as it nests on reclaimed or replanted mines.  The female is normally reluctant to leave the nest and often defecates on her eggs which result in a putrid smell to repel predators and mask the scent of the nest.  Hawaii's only native owl, called the "pueo", is a subspecies.