Birds Daytime

Northern Hawk Owl

Surnia ulula

iNaturalist eBird Wikipedia

A daylight hunter with a hawk's silhouette and an owl's soul. With its striking barred belly and fearless gaze, the Northern Hawk Owl is the ultimate prize for winter wildlife watchers.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Length: 36-45 cm (14-18 in); Wingspan: 71-82 cm (28-32 in); Weight: 240-454 g (8.5-16 oz)

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Colors

Brownish-black upperparts with heavy white spotting; creamy white underparts with distinct horizontal brown barring; white face with a prominent black 'V' shaped border; yellow eyes and bill.

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Key Features

Long, falcon-like tapered tail
Horizontal brown barring across the entire breast and belly
White facial disk framed by a thick black border
Flat-topped head with bright yellow eyes

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 8 AM - 4 PM (Daylight hours)

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Season November-March (during winter irruptions in southern latitudes) or Year-round in the North.

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Diet A specialized hunter of small mammals, particularly voles and lemmings. During the winter months or during population crashes of rodents, they will pivot to hunting small birds such as ptarmigan, grouse, and songbirds, often snatching them out of the air.

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Habitat Boreal forests, open coniferous woodlands, and edges of marshes or muskeg. In winter, they may move into farm fields, forest clearings, and even suburban parklands.

Behavior

The Northern Hawk Owl is a fascinating anomaly in the owl world, behaving more like a diurnal raptor than a creature of the night. Often found perched on the very tip of a lone snag or telephone pole, it spends its daylight hours scanning open ground for movement. It possesses a distinctive upright posture and frequently pumps its long tail up and down when it is alert or preparing to launch into a hunt.

Unlike many other owl species, Northern Hawk Owls are relatively bold and are not easily spooked by human presence, often allowing observers to get quite close. They are highly territorial during the breeding season and are known to dive-bomb any intruders—including humans—that get too close to their nest. Their flight pattern is direct and powerful, characterized by rapid wingbeats followed by long, low glides.

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Camera Tips

To capture a Northern Hawk Owl on an AI-powered camera, you must think vertically. These birds are 'top-down' hunters that prefer the highest available perch in an open area. If you have a dead tree or a tall, isolated snag in your yard, this is the primary location for your camera. If no natural perch exists, you can successfully 'bait' them with a perch pole—a 10-to-15-foot sturdy pole placed in an open field with a cross-bar at the top. Mount your camera on a nearby tree or secondary pole at a similar height to catch the bird landing and scanning for prey.

Because these owls are strictly diurnal, you don't need to rely on infrared flash as much as you would for a Great Horned Owl. Set your camera to daytime mode with a high shutter speed. These owls move incredibly fast when they dive, so a slow trigger speed will result in nothing but a blur of feathers. Aim for a trigger speed of 0.2 seconds or faster. If your camera supports burst mode, set it to take 3-5 photos per trigger to ensure you capture the perfect wing position as they land or depart.

Placement is everything. Position your camera so the sun is behind the lens to illuminate the owl's striking facial disk and barred chest. Since Northern Hawk Owls are often attracted to the movement of rodents beneath the snow or grass, placing a second camera near the ground facing an open patch of meadow can capture the dramatic moment of impact. Avoid placing cameras in thick brush; these owls prefer wide-open sightlines where they can see for hundreds of yards.

Lastly, consider the season. In many areas, these owls are only present during 'irruption years' when food is scarce in the Arctic. During these times, they may stay in a single 10-acre area for several weeks. If you spot one in your neighborhood, get your camera out immediately. They are creatures of habit and will often return to the exact same perch every morning between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM to begin their first hunt of the day.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Northern Hawk Owl.

Boreal Owl

Much smaller with a more square head and no long tail; the Boreal Owl is strictly nocturnal.

Cooper's Hawk

Has a smaller head and a different eye color (orange to red in adults) and lacks the heavy facial border of the owl.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Unlike most owls, Northern Hawk Owls are diurnal, meaning they are most active during the day. You are most likely to see them hunting or perching in bright sunlight, particularly in the mid-morning and late afternoon.

These owls are attracted to open spaces with high perches and plenty of rodents. You can attract them by maintaining natural meadow areas that support vole populations and by providing tall perching poles or leaving dead snags standing.

Their diet consists mainly of small rodents like voles, mice, and lemmings. However, they are versatile hunters and will also eat small birds, especially during the winter months.

They are generally birds of the northern boreal forest, but during 'irruption years,' they move south into suburban edges, farm fields, and parks in search of food, making them occasional winter visitors to backyards.

While they fly and perch like hawks, you can identify them by their large, owl-like head, bright yellow eyes, and the lack of a visible 'neck.' Their horizontal belly barring is also much more consistent than that of most similar-sized hawks.

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