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In the nonbreeding season long-eared owls roost in shrubs, willow thickets or the dense foliage of trees. The long-eared owl requires an open hunting area with a sufficient food supply near the roost or nest. Winter roosts are sometimes located in farm woodlands,orchards or parks. FORAGING HABITS Mice and voles are the primary prey of long-eared owls, but other small mammals are sometimes eaten. It is thought that prey density may determine breeding density of the long-eared owl (Ehrlich et al., 1988). The long-eared owl hunts only at night by flying silently and low above marshes or open fields while listening for its prey. THREATS AND MANAGEMENT CONCERNS The preferred habitat of the long-eared owl consists of tall cottonwoods, willows and live oaks that border wet meadows or streams. Human impacts on habitats are the major threat to long-eared owl populations. Many of these areas have been altered by water diversion, cleared for cultivation or inundated by reservoirs(Beedy and Granholm, 1985). SELECTED REFERENCES Beedy, Edward C. and Stephen L. Granholm. 1985. Discovering Sierra Birds. Yosemite Natural History Association and Sequoia Natural History Association. 229 pp. Bent, Arthur C. 1938. Life histories of North American birds of prey (part 2). U. S.Nat. Mus. Bull. 170: viii +482 pp. Bosakowski,Thomas. 1984. Roost selection and behavior of the long-eared owl (Asio otos) wintering in New Jersey. Raptor Research 18(4): 137-142. California Department of Fish and Game. 1987. Special animals. Natural Diversity Data Base. 18 pp. Craig,Timothy H. and Charles H.Trost. 1979. The biology and nesting density of breeding american kestrels and long-eared owls on the Big Lost River, southeastern Idaho. Wilson Bull. 91(1): 50-61. Ehrlich, Paul R., David S. Dobkin and Darryl Wheye. 1988. The Birder's Handbook. Simon and Schuster,Inc.,New York. 798 pp. Gaines, David. 1988. Birds of Yosemite and the East Slope. Artemisia Press, Lee Vining. 352 pp. Heintzelman, Donald S. 1984. Guide to owl watching in North America. Winchester Press,New Century Publishers, Inc.,Piscataway. 193 pp. Marks, Jeffrey S. 1986. Nest-site characteristics and reproductive success of long-eared owls in southwestern Idaho. Wilson Bull. 98(4): 547-560.