Northern hawk-owl

Northern hawk-owl
Surnia ulula, Linnaeus, 1758

It inhabits taiga of the Northern Hemisphere, usually forests close to open areas such as peat bogs, meadows or clearcuts. It nests in tree hollows, broken tree trunks or abandoned nests of Accipitriformes or Corvidae birds. Outside the breeding season, it lives alone, and usually goes further south in search of food. This owl is active during the day, most often hunting from a hide. The northern hawk-owl likes to sit on energy wires and poles near human settlements, due to easier access to rodents in winter; it is not a shy bird. It comes to Poland very rarely, in the autumn-winter period.
Distribution: Scandinavia, northern and central Asia, North America: from Alaska to the Labrador Peninsula

male / female
body length: 36–39 cm
wingspan: 74–81 cm
body mass: 0,21–0,38 kg