The hawk owl is the queen of forests in the northern part of Eurasia, on the coasts of Kamchatka and the Sea of Okhotsk. She, being one of the most unusual wild birds, is considered by many peoples as a symbol of wisdom and knowledge.
Appearance
Many features distinguish this species from other owls. The hawk owl got its name for its resemblance to a hawk, which is expressed not only externally, but also in behavior and habits. The bird is of medium size, its weight does not exceed 380 g. The small head with a weakly pronounced very light facial disc is slightly flattened, there are no feather "ears" on it. The eyes and beak are yellow. The wingspan is approximately 70–80 cm. Females are the same size as males, sometimes larger. Feet with black claws are covered with rather dense plumage.
General color dark brown with bright specks on the back, neck and shoulders. The lighter surface of the abdomen and chest has a pronounced transverse pattern. The rump is slightly lighter than the back. There is an opinion that the hawk owl becomes lighter with age. Photos and descriptions of these birds make it possible to verify how light and dark streaks, speckles andthe stripes disguise the owl as birch bark. Due to this color, it is also called the birch owl.
Habitats
The forests of North America, the taiga strip of Europe and Asia, the Central regions of Russia and Siberia are the places where this bird prefers to nest. The hawk owl is less common in the Tien Shan, Mongolia, Sakhalin and Primorye.
Taiga, forest-tundra are the most favorite habitats for owls. They settle in riverine spruce forests, in forests growing along the perimeter of large swamps, wherever there is a lot of woody coniferous vegetation. Often these birds nest in drying clearings, old burnt areas. Favorite habitats in the mountains are the valleys of the rivers flowing from the mountains and the periphery of the meadows.
Owl detection methods
Complete counting of hawk owls is not an easy task, as it requires routes through wetlands and difficult terrain. When passing through these areas, the soundtracks of the calls of the female and the male are reproduced in order to more fully account.
During the search, hollows and tops of broken trees are carefully examined. The easiest time to do this work is when the fledglings are flying out of the nest and nestling nearby on tree branches and fallen trunks.
In winter you can see the footprints left by an owl in the snow. They differ from the traces of other representatives of this family in a less pronounced X-shaped form. Due to the strong pubescence of the paws, the prints that the hawk owl leaves on the snow are indistinct. Landingin addition, a trace of the tail remains.
Main food
These owls feed mainly on small rodents. Sometimes birds become their prey. First of all, the hawk owl catches mouse-like rodents (lemmings, red-backed voles). Studies conducted by employees of the Kandalaksha Reserve showed that during the snowless period, 98 percent of the food of the chicks consists of these animals. And the majority are voles. In the pellets left by birds, even the remains of frogs were found. In the forests of Finland and Norway, similar studies have also shown that the main part of the diet of hawk owls is mouse-like rodents, and the share of birds is expressed as little more than one percent.
And only in the winter season, the hawk owl hunts mainly birds. First of all, these are white partridges, hazel grouses and small representatives of passerines.
Hunting
Not only the appearance, but also the behavior of this owl is very reminiscent of a hawk. It hunts mainly in the daytime, less often at dusk. Like many other birds of prey that live in forests, the owl picks up speed by flapping its wings frequently, then spreads them motionless as it moves forward.
It can unexpectedly fall from a tall tree and, flying at least a hundred meters at high speed in an instant, abruptly soar back up. Sometimes, flying near the ground, it turns over through the wing and falls down like a stone. This is happening so fast thatonly to see how the hawk owl is already sitting with prey.
The description of how a predator looks out for its prey is very reminiscent of the habits of a hawk. Hunting in the open landscape, the owl hangs in the same way in the air, peering down. Often she uses lone dead trees as a vantage point. After looking around the neighborhood for half an hour, it flies to another tree.
Nesting
Hawk owl mating season starts in March. In April, she arranges a place for laying eggs or uses old alien nests for this. Usually an owl occupies natural hollows, located, as a rule, in spruces or pines, and at a very high altitude - an average of 14-15 meters. It often nests on the tops of brocades, settling in decayed cavities. Birds keep a distance between nests of one to seven kilometers, depending on the density of the group.
In April-May, the female lays her eggs. On average, there are 4-5 eggs in a clutch. In a season rich in mouse rodents, their number can reach up to a dozen. The size of the eggs is approximately 35 to 40 mm. The hawk owl behaves quite aggressively on the nest. As soon as she feels the appearance of someone nearby, she starts screaming loudly, flying from place to place, and in case of danger, the female and male actively protect the nest by striking the enemy’s head with their beak.
Chicks
Incubation lasts about a month, and already in June babies are born. Their first outfit is a white fluff, which gradually turns into a gray plumage with ripples. On the darkwhite eyebrows and elongated rounded spots under the eyes of the same color stand out on the facial disk. Black spots around the eyes merge over the beak.
While waiting for the arrival of their parents, the chicks sitting in the nest emit a kind of hoarse squeak. After 3 weeks, they already have almost the same plumage as an adult hawk owl, the photo of which clearly shows the features of its color. While still poorly able to fly, the chicks sit more on the branches near their nest, while making whistling sounds.
When young owls are one month old, they can already fly distances of 20 to 30 meters on their own. But for a long time, parents continue to patronize their chicks, fearlessly attacking anyone who dares to approach them. At the same time, with their restless cry, which means a danger signal, they force the young to freeze in a posture of a column. Parents, however, such a cry gives courage. Independent life in young owls begins around September.
Chick mortality is very high. Even with large clutches, the brood usually consists of no more than three birds. In many areas, the hawk owl is already on the verge of extinction. The Red Book of the Middle Urals, the Moscow Region and some other regions includes this species of owls along with other animals in need of protection.
