Northern Hawk Owl

Surnia ululaOrder: STRIGIFORMES Family: True Owls (Strigidae)

Codes: Common Name: NHOW Scientific Name: SURULU ITIS Taxonomic No.: 177898

Breeding Location:

Forest, Swamps, Scrub vegetation areas, Marshes

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Uncommon to rare, Remote from humans

Egg Color:

White

Number of Eggs:

3 - 13

Incubation Days:

25 - 30

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Uses large cavities in trees and abandoned squirrel, crow, and hawk nests.No added materials.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

General

Northern Hawk Owl: Medium-sized, slender owl with white-spotted brown upperparts and brown-barred white underparts. Gray facial disk is partially bordered by a thick, brown stripe that extends to upper breast; lacks ear tufts. Wings are long and relatively pointed. Tail is long and rounded. Sexes are similar.

Range and Habitat

Northern Hawk Owl: Found across Canada and central and eastern Alaska. During winter months, there is some southward movement to the northernmost states. Prefers edges of burns, open areas cleared by lumbering, and sparse woodlands.

Breeding and Nesting

Northern Hawk Owl: Three to thirteen white eggs are laid in an enlarged woodpecker hole, hollow in a stump, or abandoned raptor or crow nest. Incubation ranges from 25 to 30 days and is carried out by the female. Young can fledge at 25 to 35 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Northern Hawk Owl: Eats mostly voles and other small mammals; also takes birds, especially in winter; active during the day.

Vocalization

Northern Hawk Owl: Male advertisement call is a low "hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo", repeated 10 to 200 times, with one note every two to three seconds. Female responds with a raspy buzz and often duets with the male. When alarmed, barks "whek-WHEK-whek" or shrieks like a cat or "killy-killy-killy-killy." Both sexes hiss during exchange of prey or when alarmed.

Similar Species

Northern Hawk Owl: None in range.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Northern Hawk Owl

Northern Hawk Owl: Medium-sized, slender owl with white-spotted brown upperparts and brown-barred white underparts. The gray facial disk is partially bordered by a thick, brown stripe that extends to the upper breast; lacks ear tufts. Wings are long and relatively pointed. Tail is long and rounded.

● Song: "hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo", "killy-killy-killy-killy"

● Foraging & Feeding: Northern Hawk Owl: Eats mostly voles and other small mammals; also takes birds, especially in winter; active during the day.

● Breeding & nesting: Northern Hawk Owl: Three to thirteen white eggs are laid in an enlarged woodpecker hole, hollow in a stump, or abandoned raptor or crow nest. Incubation ranges from 25 to 30 days and is carried out by the female. Young can fledge at 25 to 35 days.

● Similar species: Northern Hawk Owl: None in range.

Flight Pattern

Swift low flight.

● Range & Habitat: Northern Hawk Owl: Found across Canada and central and eastern Alaska. During winter months, there is some southward movement to the northernmost states. Prefers edges of burns, open areas cleared by lumbering, and sparse woodlands.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationUncommon to rare, Remote from humans

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight10.5 Ounces

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America