The Northern Hawk Owl is a diurnal, perch-hunting owl with a long tail and fast, direct flight that looks more like a hawk than an owl in the field. It has no ear tufts and a round, black-bordered facial disc. It irrupts south of the boreal zone in winter when small mammal populations crash, sometimes hunting openly on highway verges.
Best time to see a Northern Hawk Owl
The best time to see a Northern Hawk Owl is January–February, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 829 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Northern Hawk Owl? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Northern Hawk Owl sightings near you
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