Northern Hawk Owl
The Northern Hawk Owl is a medium sized owl, 14 to 16 inches long and with a wing span of 8.5 to 10 inches. Females are slightly larger than males. The term "hawk" refers to its falcon-like wing shape and long tail. The facial disc is whitish and broadly rimmed blackish at the sides. The eyebrows are white and the eyes are pale yellow. The upperparts are dark grey to dusky greyish-brown with the crown densely spotted whitish and the nape has indistinct false eyes. The mantle and back are dusky grey with some whitish dots and the scapulars are mainly white forming rather broad white bands across the shoulder. The flight feathers are dark grey-brown with rows of white spots. The tail is long and graduated and dark greyish-brown with several narrow whitish bars. The underparts are whitish and barred with greyish-brown. The legs and toes are feathered.
The Northern Hawk Owl is found in the boreal coniferous forests of North America and Eurasia, usually on the edges of more open woodland, and hunts in semi-open country with scattered trees or groups of trees. It nests in large tree cavities or uses nests abandoned by other large birds and moves widely within its area of distribution, breeding where food is abundant.
The Northern Hawk Owl is a partially diurnal owl which hunts voles and birds like thrushes. It waits on a treetop or other perch and takes advantage of its rapid flight to overtake prey. It has exceptional hearing and can plunge into snow to capture rodents below the surface.
The typical male call is a rapid, melodious, purring trill of up to 14 seconds long which consists of about 11 to 15 notes per second. It begins softly, rises slightly in pitch and increases to a vibrating trill before breaking off abruptly. This is repeated at various intervals. Females utter a similar, higher-pitched, less clear song.
Date: 9th July 2019
Location: Iivaara, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Finland
The Northern Hawk Owl is found in the boreal coniferous forests of North America and Eurasia, usually on the edges of more open woodland, and hunts in semi-open country with scattered trees or groups of trees. It nests in large tree cavities or uses nests abandoned by other large birds and moves widely within its area of distribution, breeding where food is abundant.
The Northern Hawk Owl is a partially diurnal owl which hunts voles and birds like thrushes. It waits on a treetop or other perch and takes advantage of its rapid flight to overtake prey. It has exceptional hearing and can plunge into snow to capture rodents below the surface.
The typical male call is a rapid, melodious, purring trill of up to 14 seconds long which consists of about 11 to 15 notes per second. It begins softly, rises slightly in pitch and increases to a vibrating trill before breaking off abruptly. This is repeated at various intervals. Females utter a similar, higher-pitched, less clear song.
Date: 9th July 2019
Location: Iivaara, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Finland
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Also in: North Finland - part 2
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