Northern hawk owl is a rare winterer
Photo: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis
Northern hawi owl
Northern hawk owl Vöötkakk Surnia ulula
And a basic trait, it is active in daytime and at dusk. Compared to the better known Ural owl the Northern hawk owl is half as big, roughly jackdaw-sized, with a long tail, which might as well fit a sparrowhawk. The length of a northern hawk owl is up to 40 centimetres, wingspan 80 centimetres, but weight only around 300 grams.
Compared to our other owls the head of the Northern hawk owl is tiny. Eyes and beak yellow, white face mask surrounded by dark feathers, and the mask is visible at the back too – just as if there were eyes in the back. Feather-covered legs, claws blackish brown.
The plumage of the underparts also looks banded like a hawk’s – the daytime hunting and flight image fit in well with the doings of sparrowhawks. The Northern hawk owl likes a high vantage point, and the hovering flight on prowl is characteristic, when it hunts for rodents, mainly voles.
In Estonia the Northern hawk owl is an extremely rare nester, but this summer Toomas managed to capture it on a video that was also shown in the ETV programme Osoon: LINK
Northern hawk owl observations: LINK
Tags: 
