Northern Hawk-Owl

The Northern Hawk-Owl is an unusual owl that behaves and even flies much like a diurnal raptor - hunting by day, perching prominently atop spruce trees, and flying with quick, direct wingbeats rather than the buoyant flight typical of most owls.

It is found across the boreal forest belt of North America and Eurasia, favoring open forest edges, burned areas, and bogs where it can watch for prey from an exposed perch.

Its long tail and pointed wing shape give it a falcon- or hawk-like silhouette in flight, unusual among owls, complementing its boldly barred underparts and distinctive white facial disc bordered in black.

Recognizing the feathers

• Flight feathers are relatively long and more tapered/pointed than in most owls, an adaptation for faster, more direct flight in open habitat.
• Tail feathers are notably long, contributing to the bird's falcon-like silhouette, with dark barring throughout.
• Underside body feathers show bold, regular dark barring on a whitish ground, different from the streaked or spotted patterns of most northern owls.
• Facial disc feathers are white with a thick black border, a striking, well-defined pattern.

Similar species

• The combination of long, pointed wings, a long barred tail, and boldly barred (not streaked or spotted) underparts, along with a strongly black-bordered white facial disc, readily separates this species from Boreal, Saw-whet, and Great Grey Owls of the same boreal forest habitat.

Plumage

Adults show dark brown-grey upperparts and boldly barred whitish underparts, with a distinctive white facial disc bordered in thick black, and yellow eyes. Sexes look alike.

Juveniles are downier and more diffusely marked before molting into the barred adult pattern.

Molt occurs gradually over the short boreal summer.

Habitat & range

Found across the boreal forest belt of North America (Alaska and Canada) and Eurasia (Scandinavia through Siberia), favoring open forest, forest edge, burned areas, and bogs with scattered high perches.

Mostly non-migratory, though northern populations occasionally move south irregularly ('irruptions') in years of low prey abundance.

Behavior & field notes

Active by day, it hunts small mammals and birds from a prominent perch atop a tall tree, dropping onto prey below - a hunting style resembling many diurnal raptors rather than typical nocturnal owls.

Its call is a rapid trill, quite different from the hoots of most owls, given especially during the breeding season.

A long, barred flight or tail feather with a falcon-like pointed shape, or a white, black-bordered facial disc feather, found in open boreal forest or forest edge, is a strong indicator of this species.