To many of us who live in Cape May, one of the highlights of the late fall season is to venture out to the Nature Conservancy’s Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge (a.k.a., “The Meadows”) at dusk and scan the fading orange sky for the dark forms of owls rising up out of the cedar groves. Some birds begin to forage over the meadows while others steadily gain altitude and head out south over Delaware Bay, apparently beginning a night of migration. Getting this rare glimpse at the lives of such elusive nocturnal species is a treat in itself, but knowing which species of owl you are looking at makes the experience all the more rewarding.
There are four species of migratory owls found regularly in Cape May: the diminutive Northern Saw-whet Owl and the mid-sized Long-eared, Short-eared, and Barn Owls. It is the latter three species that will be the focus of this article. Optimal conditions for owl migration are calm, clear, cold nights following the passage of a cold front.
Short-eared Owl is the most visible of the three species, being at least partially diurnal. Short-ears pass through Cape May mostly during October and November, with some remaining to winter along the Delaware Bayshore. They prefer grassy areas such as fields, marshes, or dunes, where they hunt and roost. In Cape May, they are most often seen flying by between late afternoon and dusk as they begin a night of migration. They are also recorded annually at the Avalon Seawatch, where they are typically seen flying in off the ocean, possibly taking a shortcut from farther up the coast. Short-ears are never numerous in Cape May, though, and seeing one is always noteworthy. A much easier way to see Short-ears is to visit some of the more extensive Delaware Bayshore marshes such as Jake’s Landing in northern Cape May County or Turkey Point in Cumberland County, where wintering birds hunt during twilight hours or on cloudy days.
The very much nocturnal Long-eared Owl is far more difficult to see. Based largely on captured birds and limited daytime observations, we know that Long-eared Owls pass through Cape May at least from late September to late November, with a few remaining to over-winter. The peak migration season seems to be early November. Long-eared Owls are much more arboreal than Short-ears, preferring dense groves of conifers with adjacent brushy fields or marshes. Only an exhausted migrant would stop short of a pine or cedar grove to roost in a dune or marsh. Aside from finding a roosting bird during the day, the best way to see Long-eared Owl in Cape May is to watch for their silhouettes to rise up at dusk as they begin migration. Long-eared seems to be the dominant species seen at The Meadows at dusk, with sometimes a dozen or more seen on a good night. However, they are seldom seen before the last glimmer of twilight.
Barn Owl’s more protracted migration season extends at least from early September to late November. Unlike Long-eared and Short-eared Owls, Barn Owls regularly call during migration, so they are more readily detected at night. Their call is a loud, blood-curdling screech (but compare this to the more variable, hissing screech of a begging juvenile Great Horned Owl; note that the latter is heard only from perched birds while Barn Owl’s call is given in flight). Barn Owls are also somewhat more crepuscular (active during twilight hours) than Long-eared so they sometimes begin flying around while there is a bit more light in the sky. Unfortunately, Barn Owls are disappearing from the northern parts of their range and have become very uncommon migrants through Cape May.
Identifying silhouettes in flight
Because Short-eared Owl is the species most readily seen during the day, it is a good standard from which to compare the shapes and flight styles of Long-eared and Barn Owls. Short-ears look slim, with the body evenly tapering from a bulky head to a slim abdomen. The wings are long, narrow, and tapered, broadest through the arm and subtly pointed at the tip. The wings are often slightly pushed forward in flight. Short-ears are known for their buoyant, floating flight on slow, deep wingbeats. The wing strokes usually extend equally above and below the horizontal, though a quick snap to the upstroke leaves the wing up more than down. Glides are relatively long on slightly uplifted to nearly flat wings. The flight path is relatively direct with occasional slow, wheeling turns.
Long-eared Owls are the same length as Short-ears but have a more front-heavy build, with thick head and chest tapering abruptly to a slim belly and tail. The wings are slightly shorter and broader (broadest through the “hand”), and the wing tips are broader and blunter. The wings tend to look less pushed forward than Short-eared’s. Long-ears appear lighter on the wing than Short-ears and have stiffer wingbeats that usually appear more below horizontal than above. The wings look so stiff they may appear to be in splints. Like Short-ears, they have a distinct snap to the upstroke. The flight path tends to be more erratic than Short-eared, with quick twists and turns every few seconds. Glides tend to be brief on flat to slightly bowed wings.
Barn Owls are also about the same length as Short-ears but are much bulkier with broader wings, shorter tail, and thicker head and body. With practice, the distinction is straightforward. Barn Owls also have long legs which, combined with the short tail, means that the feet fall about even with the tail tip. Short-eared and Long-eared Owls show the tail projecting well past the feet. Compared to Short-eared, Barn Owl has quicker, shallower, more even-paced wingbeats with a less distinct snap to the upstroke. The flight path is steadier (less buoyant), as one would expect from a heavier bird. Glides are usually short on flat to slightly cupped wings.
Plumage
If you are lucky enough to see one of these species with a glimmer of light left in the sky (remember that Short-ears fly in broad daylight much more readily than do Long-eared or Barn), there are several plumage features worth looking for. Short-eared is quite buffy overall with heavy streaking on the chest, contrasting with a pale, relatively unmarked belly. The wings show a prominent buffy patch in the primaries, highlighted by contrasty black wing tips and heavy black “wrist” markings on both under and upper primary coverts. Long-eared is darker, grayer, and more uniform overall, with more uniformly marked underparts and rufous facial disks. The pale primary patch is smaller and more rufous, and the wingtip is more extensively but less contrastingly dark. Barn Owl is ghostly pale with buff and gray mottling above, like a toasted marshmallow.
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| Figure 1 – Short-eared Owl, January, New Jersey – Of Cape May’s three medium-sized owls, Short-eared is the easiest to see during daylight hours and provides a good standard from which to compare shapes and flight styles of the other two species. The best way to study Short-ears is to make a late afternoon visit during winter to one of the vast Delaware Bayshore marshes such as Jakes Landing or Turkey Point. Photo by Scott Elowitz. |
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Figure 2 – Flight profiles of Short-eared (left), Long-eared (center), and Barn Owls. Note the Short-ear’s slim, evenly tapered body and slim, forward-pushed wings. Long-eared has a more front-heavy look to the body and slightly shorter, broader wings usually held straight out. Barn Owls look bulkier with thicker body, broader wings, and shorter tail. The feet fall about even with the tail tip on Barn Owl but far short of it on Short-eared and Long-eared. Along with these structural features, flight style, habitat, and other behavioral clues help to identify these species in silhouette. Drawing by Michael O’Brien. |
This article is dedicated to the late Patrick Matheny, a man with an insatiable curiosity about owls with whom I enjoyed countless hours discussing the behavior and identification of these fascinating creatures.