Northern hawk owl in black cottonwoods in Alaska by Lisa Hupp, USFWS.

Northern hawk owls (Surnia ulula) are unusual hunters among their relatives. Instead of flying in twilight and darkness, they are active only in the daytime, using their keen sight to find small rodents up to half a mile away. As we waited in the bright October sunlight, a young hawk owl focused, hunched, and then silently swooped in a steep dive towards the grass before lifting suddenly to a nearby tree. No vole caught, but a new vantage gained.

The hunt for hawk owls...

We slowly stepped into the stand of cottonwood trees at the edge of the meadow. Our heads craned back, we walked carefully as leaves crunched under our boots. We looked down often to avoid the abundant piles of fresh bear scat dotting the ground. I had been to this patch of Kodiak’s forest several times before without luck, but today I felt hopeful.

Northern hawk owl in black cottonwoods in Alaska by Lisa Hupp, USFWS.

Weaving in and out of the trees, we scanned the open branches and tops of dead snags. It was high noon, and our eyes searched for something slightly larger than a football silhouetted against the sun. As I turned away to head a different direction, I heard it: “I found one!” And there it was. Perched small and dark on a naked branch, with a long, sharp tail angled down and small yellow eyes glowing, a northern hawk owl swiveled its head looking for prey.

What’s in a name?

The daytime habits, hunting style, long tail and pointed wings of this singular owl are similar to those of hawks and falcons, earning it the name of hawk owl. Like a hawk, it may skim the ground in pursuit of prey, hover before a “pounce,” or capture prey from the air.

Northern hawk owl by Lisa Hupp, USFWS.

Where to find them

A truly northern bird, the hawk owl is not migratory and lives in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska. Lucky viewers in the northern continental United States may occasionally see a nomadic hawk owl searching for more temperate climate and food.

A photographer’s dream

We watched as the owl surveyed the meadow, ignoring us completely. Tolerance of humans and banker’s hours made it possible for our small group of shutterbugs to snap away as the owl swiveled and preened. When a second owl swooped past the first to settle in a nearby tree, we could hardly believe our luck. Hundreds of photos later, we collapsed our tripods and headed back to the road.

I returned alone in the late afternoon, not quite ready to end the encounter after my previous failed attempts. Repeating the slow, neck-straining walk through the trees, I wondered if I could find them again on my own. With a sense of deja-vu, I finally spotted the silhouette high above me. Before I could even set up the camera, the second owl soared past the first. And then began a kind of hopscotch, as the two owls dove and rose again through the fall foliage around me. I forgot about taking pictures and just watched.

Northern hawk owl by Lisa Hupp, USFWS.

-- Lisa Hupp, USFWS Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge