Northern Hawk Owl

Northern hawk-owl

Northern Hawk Owls have white faces that are outlined by thick black lines, and their eyes and bills are yellow. Their backs and wings are brown with white spots.

Their breasts and bellies are white with horizontal brown stripes, and their tails are long and brown with white horizontal lines. Their legs and feet are fully feathered.

Juveniles have the same features, except that they’re paler and fluffier.

  • Surnia ulula
  • Length: 14.5 – 17.5 in (37 – 44 cm)
  • Weight: 10.5 oz (298 g)
  • Wingspan: 33 in (84 cm)

Range

Northern Hawk Owls do not migrate and are mainly resident in the cold north in Canada and Alaska.

Habitat And Diet

You can find Northern Hawk Owls in open pine and spruce forests or those mixed with larch, birch, poplar, and willow. They also favor burned areas of forests because these are good nesting sites. 

Northern Hawk Owls primarily feed on mammals, particularly voles, during the summer. During the winter, they shift their diet to eating ground-dwelling birds, like ptarmigan and grouse. 

Unlike most owls, Northern Hawk Owls are day hunters

Northern Hawk Owls Calls:

Nests

Nests of Northern Hawk Owls are usually on broken, open tree stumps or in abandoned woodpecker holes or decayed hollows. Both parents scout their nesting area and prefer locations in open forests with scattered trees, usually near the water.

The female lays up to thirteen eggs and incubates them for about a month while the male looks for food to feed her. Once the eggs hatch, parenting roles shift.

The female is then the one who hunts, and the male tends to the nest. When the young leave the nest, the female once again takes over tending duties, but the male will still be around to provide food for his family. 

Fun Fact:

Northern Hawk Owls have ‘hawk’ in their name because they look hawk-like and hunt during the day.