Northern Hawk Owl - Photos by Bruce Dayton - Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula)

ORDER: Strigiformes
FAMILY: Strigidae (Owls - 20 Species)
SPECIES: Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula)

Northern Hawk Owl
The Northern Hawk Owl is a hawk-like owl that lives in the Boreal Forest (northern hemisphere) where the days are long during the summer half of the year. Because of the extended daylight, the Northern Hawk Owl must also hunt during the daylight (Diurnal) hours. In winters of food scarcity, it comes southward into southern Canada and the northern United States. The Northern Hawk Owl is a bird of prey. This Owl featured on this page was photographed on January 30, 2006 near Lyndonville, New York.
SIZE	The Northern Hawk Owl is a medium-sized (15-17”) hawk-like owl.
DESCRIPTION	Dark brown upperparts with white spots and barred underparts and tail. The bill and the eyes are yellow. The sexes are similar in appearance, but females may be slightly larger.
NESTING	Clutch size ranges 3-9 eggs, depending on food supply and other factors. The eggs are incubated only by the female in 25 to 32 days. The Northern Hawk Owl does not build a nest, it nests in large tree cavities or uses nests abandoned by other large birds.
RANGE	The Northern Hawk Owl is found around the world in the northern hemisphere.
HABITAT	This owl prefers a habitat of coniferous and deciduous forests where the trees are widely spaced. Open areas are required for hunting, and trees are needed for nesting and roosting.
DIET	Feeds on rodents, including voles, mice and lemmings and occasionally small birds. He is usually found perched on a high tree limb, scanning for prey.

INTERESTING FACTS

Boreal Forest (Bird Nursery of the North)

The boreal forests ring the regions immediately south of the Arctic Circle. It lays between the temperate woods and the treeless tundra. In North America, the boreal region extends from Alaska to Newfoundland. In Russia, it is known as the taiga. About two-thirds of the total Boreal forest area is in Eurasia. The boreal forest has innumerable water bodies: bogs, fens, marshes, shallow lakes, rivers and wetlands, mixed in among the spruces, firs, and conifers. It has a smattering of deciduous trees, mostly along waterways. The summers are short and cool and winters long and harsh, with heavy snowfall. This arctic breeding ground is the source of billions of birds that nest, hatch and fledge their young and then many fly south to American.

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The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2007 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit.




Northern Hawk Owl

Near Lyndonville Orleans County, New York


NHOw_190T_013745	NHOw_190T_031757


NHOw_190T_031818	NHOw_190T_031827

American Long-eared Owl Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes