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NORTHERN HAWK OWL
(Sernia Ulula)

This is a fairly common bird found in the boreal forest in Alaska.
It is, however, subject to population fluctuations and may at times be rare.
The species is distributed from Norway, across the Soviet Union, through Alaska, and into eastern Canada.
The owl is typical of most owls because it hunts during daylight hours, using sight more than hearing to locate its prey.

The Northern Hawk owl is so named because of similarities in both behavior and appearance with typical hawks.
The owl is of medium size, about 13 inches long (33 cm) with a wing spread of 30 inches (76 cm). It has a small facial disk and bright yellow eyes. The wings are large and pointed at the ends.
The Northern Hawk owls tail is very long and tapers at the end. The underside is marked with fine black bars on white. When the bird flies, the pointed wings, long tail, and swift flight appear hawk-like.

In Alaska, the Northen Hawk owl is the only raptor present all year which hunts rodents by sight.
Conserving dead trees which can be used as nesting sites is probably the only conservation measure that man can undertake to aid this owl.
Northern hawk owls benefit man by eating agricultural pests; however, most of the voles eaten are not serious competitors with man for food crops.
The hawk owl is protected from hunting by both state and federal laws.

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