Long eared owls are widespread birds that live and breed in North America, Asia and Europe. Their common name comes from their long ear tufts, which help them appear larger to potential predators. History: Owls are some of the oldest birds, dating back to around 65 million years ago. Though owls are birds of prey, they are not closely related to hawks or eagles, and their closest living relatives are birds known as nightjars. Of the five subspecies of long eared owl, two can be found in the United States. They can mainly be separated from each other by the color of their prominent facial discs. Scientific Name: Asio otus Characteristics: This long eared owl toy is perched on a small bit of branch to give it some support. This hand-painted figurine is looking around, with its head turned to the left, perhaps scanning a field for something to eat. Size: Our long eared owl toy figure is 2½ inches tall and 1½ inches long from the tips of its wings to the end of its perching branch.