Family Typical Owls (Strigidae)
Least Concern
Northern Hawk-owl (Surnia ulula)
Taxonomy
French: Épervière boréale German: Sperbereule Spanish: Cárabo gavilán
Other common names:
Hawk Owl
Taxonomy:
Strix Ulula
Linnaeus
, 1758,Sweden
.
Subspecies and Distribution
S. u. ulula
(Linnaeus, 1758) – N Eurasia E to Kamchatka and Sakhalin, S in C Siberia to Tarbagatai and to taiga of N Mongolia (from Uvs Lake Valley and Khangai, Khövsgöl and Khentii Mts E to R Ulz and R Herlen Valleys, also Khalkhgol district).
S. u. tianschanica
Smallbones, 1906 – C Asia (Tien Shan) and NW & NE China.
S. u. caparoch
(Statius Müller, 1776) –
Alaska E through C & S Canada to Labrador and Newfoundland, S to extreme N USA (Washington, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan#R#R); in winter occasionally farther S in USA.
Descriptive notes
36–41 cm; male 215–375 g, female 323–392 g; wingspan 74–81 cm. Distinctive owl with long tail, broad head, thickset body, and blackish, dark brown and... read more
Voice
Male gives rapid, trilling “prullul-lullu” with burbling quality, lasting up to 14... read more
Habitat
Occupies forest tundra and boreal taiga as far as tree-line and ranging S to edge of forest steppe... read more
Food and feeding
In breeding season, almost wholly voles (Microtinae), with a few small birds and larger mammals; also occasional amphibian, fish or insect... read more
Breeding
Season c. Mar–Sept. Presumably seasonally monogamous; occasional polygyny; no data available on possible incidence of monogamy... read more
Movements
Dispersive and irruptive; essentially nomadic; dependent largely on prey availability. When voles... read more
Status and conservation
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Numbers fluctuate markedly with abundance of small rodents. Difficult to assess population status or trends; breeding range... read more
Siberian populations, formerly separated as pallasi, are included in nominate. Three subspecies recognized.