The nocturnal lifestyle is kind’ve an owl “thing,” but several species buck the trend—like the Northern Hawk Owl, a boreal owl so hawk-like in behavior and appearance it’s often mistaken for a completely different raptor.
For starters, Northern Hawk Owls hunt mostly by day, and depend more on keen eyesight than hearing. The ears of Northern Hawk Owls are placed symmetrically on either side of the skull, rather than offset for enhanced hearing like most owl species. That doesn’t mean they don’t hear well; Northern Hawk Owls can still locate and capture prey tunneling unseen under the snow!
They perch atop trees in open grass- and woodlands, scanning for small mammals and birds. When prey is located, the owl swoops into flight, stroking swiftly with sharply pointed wings like a falcon or accipiter to nab its meal with scimitar talons.
