Medium sized owl with tiny ear tufts, conspicuous pale facial disc and small pale yellow eyes. More stocky and longer-winged than the long-eared owl. Dull buffs and browns colouring, with barring and streaking on the upper-parts, and bold dark streaking on the under-parts. Unlike the other indigenous British Isles owls, the short-eared owl is primarily a bird of the open country, and spends long periods away from trees and bushes, and nests, nearly always, on the ground.

Open grassy moorland, marshes, sand dunes; in winter frequents grassy marshes and grazing meadows, also adjacent arable fields and moors.

North America and from Great Britain, through central europe to Japan and China.