Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

Abundance: Very Uncommon (12 records in 8 counties, 3 in Kentucky and 5 in Tennessee).

Status: Winter Resident; designated as an endangered breeding species by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission (2004); specimen ([photograph] see link below).

Regional High Count: 5 (20 February 2006; Bledsoe County, Tennessee; Ruth Ann Henry et al. unpubl. data).

Information on Records: 

28 December 1991 (1) White County, Tennessee (Thomas Roberts; Stedman 1992).

23-27 November 1995 (2) Mark Welborn Rd., northeastern Pulaski County, Kentucky (Gary McClendon, Linda McClendon, Jackie B. Elmore, Sr., Roseanna M. Denton et al. unpubl. data).

10 January 1996 (1) Cane Creek Park, Cookeville, Putnam County, Tennessee (Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data); see Remarks below.

30 March 1997 (2) Ano strip mines, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Clay Black unpubl. data); see Remarks below 

28 November/24 December 1999/10 January 2000 (1/2/1) Ano strip mines, Daniel Boone National Forest [first and second records only; third record on private land at Ano], Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton/Roseanna M. Denton/ Roseanna M. Denton et al.; Busroe 2000a and 2000b).

10 December 2000 (1) Ano strip mines, Daniel Boone National Forest, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton unpubl. data).

20 December 2003 (2) Ano strip mines, Daniel Boone National Forest, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton, Julie Denton, Steve Denton; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2004b).

10 January 2004 (1) c. 15 km west of Monticello on Rt. 90, Wayne County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton, Terry M. Campbell; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2004b).

6 December 2005 (1) Old Glasgow-Munfordville Rd., Barren County, Kentucky (Eric Williams; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2006b).

15/18/20/21/24/26/28/31 January/1/5/6/7/12/15/17/20/27 February/3/6/8/10/12/15/18 March 2006 (4+/3/3/4/1-2/4/3/4/3/4/4/4/3/2/4/5/3/4/3/3/4/4/4/1) Ninemile Crossroad, Sequatchie Valley, Bledsoe County, Tennessee (David J. Trently, Audrey R. Hoff, Mike Nelson unpubl. data/Stephen J. Stedman et al. unpubl. data/Steve Clendenen et al. unpubl. data/Douglas A. Downs, Marti Downs unpubl. data/James M. Campbell, Betty Reid Campbell unpubl. data/Clyde Blum unpubl. data/Ruth Ann Henry, m. ob. unpubl. data/Howard Chitwood unpubl. data/Zack Barrow unpubl. data/Robin Barrow unpubl. data/Stephen J. Stedman, Ginger K. Ensor unpubl. data/Ruth Ann Henry et al. unpubl. data/Daniel R. Jacobson et al. unpubl. data/Winston A. Walden, Michael P. O'Rourke unpubl. data/Stephen J. Stedman et al. unpubl. data/Ruth Ann Henry et al. unpubl. data/Ronnie D. Smith unpubl. data/Tommy L. Curtis et al. unpubl. data/ Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data/ Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data/ Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data/Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data/Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data/Stephen J. Stedman unpubl. data).

15 October 2006 (1--found injured then died; specimen to be donated to TTU Biology Department) Gore Farm near Carthage, Smith County, Tennessee (Charles and Audrey Elrod fide Lee Barclay; Casteel 2007a), photo ([of specimen] Kurt Snider).

25 December 2008-12 January 2009/26 January/10 February-21 March 2009 (1-3/1/1-2) Hillendale Rd. area, Cumberland County, Tennessee (Edmund K. LeGrand, Harry E. LeGrand [first date], m. ob. [thereafter]/Edmund K. LeGrand/Edmund K. LeGrand); photo (David Kirschke, 12 January 2009).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Early Fall: 15 October 2006 (1 found injured; Smith County, Tennessee; Charles and Audrey Elrod fide Lee Barclay unpubl. data); Next Earliest: 23 November 1995 (2; Pulaski County, Kentucky; Gary McClendon unpubl. data).

    Late Spring: 30 March 1997 (2; Pulaski County, Kentucky; Clay Black unpubl. data).

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Habitat: Large, wettish, weedy fields in areas with extensive grassland; extensive short-grass, dryish fields used by the Short-ears in Cumberland County, Tennessee, during the winter of 2008-2009; fields in bottomlands of major rivers preferred in some areas of the winter range, but this preference is not yet evident in the Region.

Remarks: Crepuscular; most often sighted at dusk, but probably just as likely to be active at dawn near roost sites; occasionally flies during the day, especially under overcast conditions.

    The Short-ear seen in Putnam County, Tennessee, was observed the day following a snowfall of several inches; it was harassed by crows and began flying in bright sunlight conditions, soaring in large circles to an altitude of several hundred feet.

    Clay Black (pers. com.) reported 2 "interacting" Short-eared Owls 30 March 1997 at the Ano strip mines, Pulaski County, Kentucky.  Although Short-eared Owls often engage in aerial acrobatics with one another at communal wintering sites, aerial courtship behavior was also suggested by the interactions of these 2 Short-ears; if that was the case, then these 2 owls may have represented a pair.  Possibly, courtship in this species is initiated during late winter or early spring south of the breeding range, with the pair then migrating together north to the breeding range, which from south-central Kentucky is about 150 km northwest to the closest known breeding site.  However, the Ano strip mines provide potential breeding habitat for this owl; given the lateness of the season during which they were noted, the 2 Short-ears observed by Black might have been breeding at that site, though attempts to relocate these owls on several subsequent dates were unsuccessful.

    Wilson (1962: 15) refers to "some records [undated] in slash country of Barren County (Starr)."

Counties with Observations (boldfaced):

To see a map (Figure 1) displaying the data in the table above, click on the boldfaced word in this sentence.

Literature Cited