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, among many peoples is considered a symbol of wisdom and knowledge.
Appearance
Numerous features distinguish this species from other owls. The hawk owl got its name because of its resemblance to the hawk, which is expressed not only externally, but also in behavior and habits. The bird is medium in size, its weight does not exceed 380 g. A small head with a slightly pronounced very bright 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 of the same size as males are sometimes found larger. Paws with black claws are covered with rather thick plumage.
The general color is 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 nails are slightly lighter than the back. It is believed that with age, the hawk owl becomes lighter. Photos and descriptions of these birds make it possible to see how light and dark streaks, specks, and stripes on the body mask the owl under the birch bark. Thanks to this color, it is also called a birch owl.
Habitat
Forests of North America, taiga strip of Europe and Asia, Central regions of Russia and Siberia are places where this bird prefers to nest. Less common is the hawk owl in the Tien Shan, in Mongolia, on Sakhalin and in Primorye.
Taiga, forest-tundra - the most favorite habitats of owls. They settle in the river spruce, in the forests growing along the perimeter of large swamps, wherever there is a lot of woody coniferous vegetation. Often these birds nest in shrinking clearings, old burns. The favorite habitat in the mountains are the valleys of rivers flowing from the mountains and the periphery of meadows.
Owl Detection Methods
A full account of hawk owls is a rather difficult matter, because for this it is necessary to conduct routes through swampy and difficult terrain. When passing through these sections, the phonograms of the screams of the female and the male are reproduced in order to more fully take into account.
In the process of searching, hollows and peaks of broken trees are carefully inspected. It is easiest to carry out this work at a time when barely fledged chicks fly out of the nest and are located nearby on tree branches and fallen trunks.
In winter, you can distinguish tracks left by an owl in the snow. They differ from the traces of other representatives of this family in a less pronounced X-shape. Due to the severe pubescence of the paws, the prints that the hawk owl leaves in the snow are fuzzy. When landing, a tail mark remains in addition.
Main feed
These owls feed mainly on small rodents. Sometimes birds become their prey. First of all, a hawk owl catches mouse-like rodents (lemmings, red voles). Studies conducted by employees of the Kandalaksha Nature Reserve showed that in snowless periods, the food of the chicks is 98 percent of these animals. And the majority are voles. In the mysteries left by the birds, even the remains of frogs are found. In the forests of Finland and Norway, similar studies have also shown that the main part of the diet of hawk owls are mouse-like rodents, and the proportion of birds is a little more than one percent.
And only in the winter season, the hawk owl preys mainly on birds. First of all, these are white partridges, hazel grouse and small representatives of passerines.
Hunting
Not only the appearance, but also the behavior of this owl is very similar to a hawk. It hunts mainly in the daytime, less often at dusk. Like many other birds of prey living in the forests, the owl picks up speed, making frequent flaps of its wings, and then motionlessly scatters them, moving forward.
It can suddenly fall off a tall tree and, at high speed, flying at least a hundred meters in an instant, abruptly soar back up. Sometimes, flying near the ground, it flips over the wing and falls down with a stone. This happens so swiftly that you can only see how a hawk owl is already sitting with prey.
The description of how the predator looks for its prey is very reminiscent of the hawk's habits. Hunting in the open landscape, the owl just hangs in the air, peering down. Often she uses lonely standing shrunken trees as an observation point. Glancing around the neighborhood for half an hour, flies to another tree.
Nesting
The hawking period of the hawk owl begins 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 height - an average of 14-15 meters. Often nests on the tops of bumps, settling in rotten cavities. Birds observe the distance between the nests from one to seven kilometers, depending on the density of the group.
In April – May, the female lays 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. Egg size from about 35 to 40 mm. The hawk owl on the nest behaves quite aggressively. As soon as she senses the appearance of someone nearby, she begins to scream loudly, flying from place to place, and in case of danger, the female and male actively defend the nest, striking with a beak on the enemy's head.
Chicks
Hatching 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. White eyebrows and elongated rounded spots under the eyes stand out on the dark facial disc. Black spots located around the eyes merge over the beak.
Awaiting the arrival of their parents, the chicks sitting in the nest make a peculiar hoarse squeak. After 3 weeks, they already have almost the same plumage as an adult hawk owl, the photos of which show the peculiarities of its color well. Even poorly able to fly, chicks are more likely to sit on branches near their nest, making whistling sounds.
When young owls turn a month old, they can already fly distances from 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, they, with their restless cry, signifying a danger signal, make the young animals freeze in a pose of a column. Such a cry gives courage to parents. Independent life in young owls begins around September.
Very high mortality of chicks. Even with large clutches, the brood usually numbers no more than three birds. In many areas, a hawk owl is already on the verge of extinction. The Red Book of the Middle Urals, Moscow Region and some other regions includes this species of owls, along with others that need animal protection.