Grass Owl, Mouse Owl, or Short-horned Hootlet?

Short-eared Owl, Asio flammeus

I consider myself fortunate to live near the Fort Pierre National Grasslands. In fact, I get to drive through this wonderful prairie habitat almost every evening at dusk. This time of year that means I get to see good numbers of Short-eared Owls. I usually see between three and five of these little prairie hunters every evening. These owls are one of our most abundant and widespread bird species, being found in nearly every corner of the world. Because they are familiar to people all over the planet, they have picked up a wide variety of names. Here are a few of the names by which these birds are known:

Grass Owl

Prairie Owl

Meadow Owl

Marsh Owl 

Moor Owl

Bog Owl

Swamp Owl

Day Owl

Evening Owl

Mouse Owl

Mouse Hawk

Short-horned Hootlet

Flat-faced Owl

Cataface

I like that combination of names. You get a good sense of the habitat, diet, and general appearance of the Short-eared Owl just by reading that list of names. If I had to choose, I would say I like Grass Owl the best because that is where I always find them... in prairie grasses. What do you think? Is there a good alternative to Short-eared Owl on that list?  



Short-eared Owl, Asio flammeus