Northern Hawk Owl -- South Dakota Birds
| Length: 14 - 17 inches | Wingspan: 33 inches | Seasonality: Rare Visitor |
| ID Keys: Long tail, strong barring underneath, black rim around face, dark upperparts with heavy white spotting. | ||
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Northern Hawk Owl
Surnia ulula
The Northern Hawk Owl is somewhat hawk-like in both looks and behavior. They have long tails compared to most owls, have a less "upright" posture when perched compared to most owls, and often hunt during both the day and night. They are less likely to wander far to the south of their normal range than are other northern owls such as Snowy Owls and Great Grey Owls.
Habitat: Found in semi-open conifer and mixed conifer forests, such as forest edges and clearings, bogs, and burned areas.
Diet: Feeds mostly on rodents. Will also eat birds, large insects, frogs, lizards, and fish.
Breeding: Non-breeder in South Dakota
Song: 2-syllable trilling. To listen to this bird, click here for the "E-nature.com" site for the Northern Hawk Owl, and click on "listen to this species".
Migrations: Generally a permanent resident throughout its range, but can be nomadic as they follow rodent populations. A few may wander well to the south of their normal range in the winter.
Similar Species: Boreal Owl, Great Horned Owl, Long-eared Owl
Status: Because most of its habitat is well removed from human activity, numbers are generally stable.
Further Information: 1) Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter, Northern Hawk Owl
2) Cornell University's "All About Birds - Northern Hawk Owl"
3) E-nature.com -- Northern Hawk Owl
Photo Information: Out-of-state photo -- December 13th, 2004 -- Sax-Zim Bog northwest of Duluth, Minnesota
Additional Photos: Click on the image chips or text links below for additional, higher-resolution Northern Hawk Owl photos.
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Please mail any comments/suggestions/additional links for this page to: Terry L. Sohl
This page was last edited on 02/03/08
