Northern Hawk Owl

The Northern Hawk Owl is a distinctive, medium-sized owl with a body shape and behavior that recall a falcon or accipiter more than a typical owl. It has a long tail, pointed wings in flight, and a habit of perching boldly atop the highest spire of a spruce tree scanning the surrounding open country.

Adults are grayish-brown above with white spotting, and the underparts are finely barred with dark brown on white, unlike the streaking seen in many other owls. The facial disc is pale gray-white bordered by bold black sideburn-like markings, and the eyes are yellow.

This boldly diurnal owl of the far north is a striking and sought-after find for birders, often perching conspicuously and flying with a fast, direct, hawk-like flight low over open ground before pulling up to a high perch.

Key Field Marks

• Long tail, often held at an angle in flight, giving a falcon-like silhouette
• Bold black "sideburns" bordering a pale gray facial disc
• Finely barred underparts (not streaked)
• Habit of perching conspicuously atop spruce spires and hunting by day

Similar Species

• Cooper's Hawk and other accipiters share a long-tailed, fast-flying shape but lack the owl's facial disc and have a different flight style with quicker wingbeats.
• Boreal Owl and other forest owls are shorter-tailed, strictly nocturnal, and lack the barred underparts and bold facial markings.

Northern Hawk Owls inhabit open boreal forest, muskeg, burned areas, and forest-tundra transition zones across the circumpolar north, including Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, and Siberia. They favor semi-open habitat with scattered tall trees for hunting perches.

Most individuals are resident, but the species is prone to irregular southward irruptions in winters following vole population crashes, occasionally appearing well south of the normal breeding range.

Behavior

Unlike most owls, the Northern Hawk Owl is almost entirely diurnal, hunting actively in daylight and perching openly at the tops of trees, often pumping its long tail up and down like a shrike or kestrel.

Voice

The male's territorial song is a long, rolling, whistled trill, while both sexes give sharp, shrieking alarm calls when defending the nest, sometimes aggressively diving at intruders including humans.

Feeding

Voles and other small rodents form the core diet, supplemented by birds; the owl hunts by scanning from a high open perch and diving to seize prey, sometimes pursuing birds in fast, agile flight.

Nesting & Breeding

Hawk Owls nest in natural tree cavities, broken snags, or old stick nests, laying 3-9 eggs depending on prey abundance. Parents, especially the female, defend the nest fiercely against intruders.