Birds In Alaska
Northern Hawk Owl


This Northern Hawk Owl's wing was permanently injured in an accident. He would have died in the wild but was saved by the efforts of the doctors and volunteers at the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage, Alaska. The staff at the Bird TLC do everything they can to repair and heal birds for release back into the wild. Unfortunately, this owl's injuries were too severe for a safe release.

 

Photos & narrative by J. Gilbert
July 17, 2002

"Sebastian" now lives with Bird TLC volunteer Anne Sever

Anne Sever and Sebastian are actively involved as Bird Treatment and Learning Center educators. They travel in Anchorage, and around the state teaching people about owls and how they live.

Northern Hawk Owls are small, about 16 inches at best. As with most predatory birds, males are smaller than females.

Most owls hunt at night and sleep during the day (nocturnal) but, hawk owls are different. Northern Hawk Owls are the most daytime oriented (diurnal) of Alaska's owls.

Northern Hawk Owls are identified by the dark stripes along the disks around the eyes and by a tail as long as their bodies.

Sebastian has been shedding his feathers (molting) and lost nearly all his long tail feathers at once.

Sebastian is very alert and seemed to hear every movement I made. He was quick to watch me with his big eyes!

Hawk Owls hunt from a perch or by flying low and swiftly over the ground. Their sensitive ears are able to hear small sounds even under grass and snow.

Owls can't move their eyes to look at things so they either move their body or turn their head instead.

Owls are able to turn their heads around much farther than humans because they have 14 bones in their neck. Humans only have 7 neck bones!

Owls have feathered feet and four toes. Two toes face forward and one (halix) faces back.

The third toe can move to the back, side or front, which ever gives the best grip! Even though they are small, Hawk Owls use their strong, sharp talons to catch and kill their food (prey).

Northern Hawk Owls have sharp, curved beaks made for ripping! This predator's main food is small rodents, like mice, lemmings, voles, and shrews.

Sebastian will use his beak to rip his food apart if it is too big! He will also use his beak to snap bones and make his food easier to swallow whole! He is particularly fond of heads!


Rousing traps air in their fluffed feathers and helps keep a bird warmer in cold weather. When they feel threatened, birds also rouse to make themselves look bigger and more fierce.
Birds fluff their feathers and shake them about (rouse) to settle feathers back into place.

To Anne and Sebastian,

The two of you are a very good team in education. Thank you for sharing your afternoon with me and letting me take so many pictures. I learned a lot from both of you!


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