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Bird name:

Northern Hawk Owl

Surnia ululaOrder: STRIGIFORMES Family: True Owls (Strigidae)
Codes: Common Name: NHOW Scientific Name: SURULU ITIS Taxonomic No.: 177898
Northern Hawk Owl Head Illustration

Head

Topo Map: Owl-like Head
  • Bill Shape: Hooked
  • Eye Color: Clear lemon to bright yellow, in varying intensities, sometimes tinged with orange.
  • Head Pattern: Eyeline, Spotted, Special (unique patterns or features)
  • Crown Color: Black with white mottling.
  • Forehead Color: Gray-brown with fine white spotting. White facial disk bordered in black.
  • Nape Color: Black with white mottling.
  • Throat Color: Gray-brown
  • Cere color: Yellow
Splitbar

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Beautiful copper feeder holds 2.5 lbs of sunflower seeds.
Attracting Clingers
Northern Hawk Owl Body Illustration

Body

Topo Map: Owl-like Body
  • Length Range: 37-44 cm (14.5-17.5 in)
  • Weight: 298 g (10.5 oz)
  • Size: Size 3. Medium (9 - 16 in)
  • Color: White, Brown, Black
  • Underparts: White with gray-brown barring.
  • Upperparts: Gray-brown with white spotting.
  • Back Pattern: Striped or streaked, Solid, Mottled
  • Belly Pattern: Barred or banded
  • Breast Pattern: Barred or banded

Flight

Topo Map: Owl-like Flight
  • Flight Pattern: Swift low flight.
  • Wingspan Range: 84 cm (33 in)
  • Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings, Long-Wings
  • Tail Shape: Rounded Tail
  • Tail Pattern: Dark Green
  • Upper Tail: Gray-brown with white spotting.
  • Under Tail: White with gray-brown barring.
  • Leg Color: Feathered in buff-white.
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Family True Owl (Strigidae)_blue
Species Surnia ulula
Length14.5 - 17.5 Inches
Wingspan33 Inches

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.
Northern Hawk Owl Body Illustration
● 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
Owl-like HeadX
Owl-like BodyX
Owl-like FlightX
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

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.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX