Fight between a Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus and a Barn Owl Tyto alba in portuguese land

Coruja do Nabal (Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus) vs Coruja-das-torres (Barn Owl Tyto alba)

di Nuno Xavier Moreira

November 9, 2017…

 

© Photo by N. Xavier Moreira

We are in Vila Franca de Xira in the city of Lisbon in Portugal and I found myself taking a really impressive photo: an Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus  and a Barn Owl Tyto alba were fighting for the same hunting territory.

This site has always been Barn Owl hunting area, but during winter it is also frequented by short-eared owls that come from northern Europe to wintering. Well … after a few minutes the Short-eared Owl has won and the Barn Owl flew away …

Thanks to Nuno Xiavier Moreira for information and photo documentation.