long-eared owl

American  

[lawng-eerd, long-] / ˈlɔŋˌɪərd, ˈlɒŋ- /

noun

1. a mottled-gray owl, Asio otus, of the Northern Hemisphere, having a long tuft on each side of the head.

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long-eared owl British  

noun

1. a slender European owl, Asio otus, with long ear tufts: most common in coniferous forests

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Etymology

Origin of long-eared owl

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

Despite being called the long-eared owl, the tufts on its head aren't actually ears at all.

From BBC • Oct. 28, 2022

A long-eared owl shocked crew on board a fishing boat over 100 miles off the north coast of Scotland.

From BBC • Oct. 28, 2022

Then from overhead came the hoot of a long-eared owl.

From Washington Post • May 24, 2016

The length of the study has given researchers a detailed portrait of the long-eared owl, which only looks like it has long ears — they are actually feather tufts.

From New York Times • May 23, 2011

It was growing dark when I heard on or close to the ground, some twenty to thirty yards before me, a low, wailing cry, resembling the hunger-cry of the young, long-eared owl.

From A Shepherd's Life Impressions of the South Wiltshire Downs by Hudson, W. H. (William Henry)