Short-eared Owl
Short-eared owls are medium size owls with small ear tufts on the top of the head. They have round, beige facial disks similar to those of barn owls. The underparts are white/buff (male) or tawny/rust (female), and streaked with brown, while the back is brown and mottled with white. When perched, the wings extend beyond the tail and in flight, the undersides of the wings show dark markings on the wrists and wing tips. The short-eared owl's flight is frequently described as "moth or bat-like" because it flies low over grasslands or marshes, moving back and forth with unhurried, irregular wing beats.
Short-eared owls are the most diurnal (active during the day) of all the northeastern owls. They are most often observed in the late afternoon and at dawn or dusk. These birds eat primarily small mammals, but they occasionally take small birds and the young sometimes eat insects. When hunting, they dive from perches or fly low over the ground and pounce on prey from above, sometimes hovering briefly before they drop.