Short Ear Owls favor a different type of habitat than most other owls. While many owls seek deep, dense forests, Short-eared Owls prefer to be out in the open. They make their homes in mostly flat, treeless terrain like marshes, tundra, swamps, grasslands, or fields. They are one of the most widespread owls in the world; can be found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica but these owls are noted as being on steep decline.