One of the 3 wood owls on WAnimals
Birds · Strigiformes · Strigidae
Northern Hawk-Owl
Surnia ulula
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
It is one of the few genuinely day-active owls in the world, hunting mainly in daylight by sight rather than relying on hearing as most nocturnal owls do.
Weight
280 g – 360 g
Size
35 cm – 45 cm
Lifespan
16 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- It is one of the few genuinely day-active owls in the world.
- Its long tail and pointed wings give it the outline of a falcon.
- Genetically it is far closer to the true owls than to the falcons.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
- Habitat & environment
- Open boreal coniferous forest with clearings in North America and northern Eurasia
- Birth weight
- 18 grams
- Size at birth
- Altricial at hatching
- Sexual maturity
- 1 year
- Gestation / incubation
- 25-30 days
- Litter / clutch size
- 3 to 13 eggs per clutch (5-7 most often, up to 13 in years when prey is plentiful)
- Lifespan in captivity
- Reports of up to 10 years in captivity
Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Owling.com; The Owl Pages; SimplyBirding; Animal Diversity Web; Animalia.bio; Audubon Field Guide; Wikipedia (Northern hawk-owl); Cornell Lab All About Birds
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: Winter, when part of the population moves south; unlike almost all owls it hunts by day and perches in full view at the top of spruces.
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 66 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Northern Hawk-Owl — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Long-eared Owl
Asio otus
Boreal Owl
Aegolius funereus
Eurasian Pygmy Owl
Glaucidium passerinum
Great Grey Owl
Strix nebulosa
Least ConcernTawny Owl
Strix aluco
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about northern hawk-owl.
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