Hawk owl - the queen of forests in the northern part of Eurasia, on the shores of Kamchatka and the Sea of Okhotsk.It being one of the most unusual wild birds in many nations is considered a symbol of wisdom and knowledge.
Appearance
Numerous features distinguish this species from other owls.Its name hawk owl has received for its resemblance to the hawk, which is expressed not only in appearance but also in the behavior and habits.The bird of medium size, its weight is less than 380, a small head with a very light faint facial drive a little flattened, down "ears" on it does not.Yellow eyes and beak.The wingspan is about 70-80 cm. The females are the same size as the males, sometimes there are larger.The feet are covered with black claws pretty thick plumage.
General color dark brown with bright specks on the back, neck and shoulders.The lighter the surface of the abdomen and chest has a distinct cross pattern.Nadhvoste somewhat lighter back.It is believed that with age becomes lighter hawk owl.Photos and descriptions of these birds let you see how available on the body light and dark streaks, Crappie and stripes camouflage owl under the bark of birch.Because of this it is called to the color birch owl.
Habitats
forests of North America, taiga strip in Europe and Asia, central Russia and Siberia - the places where this bird prefers to nest.Less common hawk owl in the Tien Shan, in Mongolia, Sakhalin, and Primorye.
taiga, tundra - most favorite habitat of owls.They settled in the riverine spruce in forests growing along the perimeter of the large marshes, anywhere where a lot of wood of coniferous vegetation.Often these birds nest in the clearings of drying, the old burned areas.The favorite habitat in the mountains of the valley are flowing down from the mountains and rivers peripherals meadows.
Methods for detection of owls
A full accounting of hawk owls is quite tricky, t. To. It requires to carry out routes by swampy and difficult terrain.With the passage of these areas can play music screams of female and male to better account.
in the search carefully inspected hollow and broken tree tops.The easiest way to do this work at a time when hardly fledglings fly out of the nest and are located on the branches of nearby trees and fallen trunks.
winter, you can discern the traces in the snow left by an owl.They differ from those of other members of this family are less pronounced X-shape.Due to strong pubescence of paw prints that leaves hawk owl in the snow, fuzzy.When planting is in addition trace of the tail.
Staple food
owls mainly feed on these small rodents.Sometimes they become the prey and birds.First hawk owl catches rodents (lemmings, red-backed vole).Research carried out by employees of the Kandalaksha Reserve showed that the snow-free period food chicks 98 percent of these animals.The majority - a vole.In the pellets left by birds, even found the remains of frogs.In the forests of Finland and Norway, such studies also showed that the main part of the diet hawk owls are rodents and birds share expressed a little more than one percent.
Only in winter hawk owl preys mainly on birds.In the first place - is the white partridge, grouse and small passerine representatives.
Hunting
not only appearance, but also the behavior of the owls is very reminiscent of a hawk.It hunts mostly during the day, sometimes in the twilight.Like many other birds of prey that live in the woods, an owl picks up speed, making frequent flapping its wings, and then still throwing them moving forward.
may suddenly fall from the high tree, and at high speed for at least a moment, flying hundreds of meters, abruptly soar back up.Sometimes, flying near the ground, she flips through a wing and a stone falls down.This happens so fast that you can only see as already sitting with prey hawk owl.
Description of how the predator looks for its prey, is very similar to the habits of a hawk.When hunting in the open landscape, the owl just hangs in the air, looking down.Often it is used as an observation post lonely standing dead trees.Looking around the sides of the neighborhood for half an hour, he flies to another tree.
Nesting
period from mating hawk owl begins in March.In April, she arranges a place to lay their eggs, or uses someone else's nest of old.Typically, the owl takes natural hollows, located usually in spruce or pine, and at very high altitudes - an average of 14-15 meters.Often it nests on the tops of oblomyshey, settling in cavities Arch.Birds observe the distance between the slots from one to seven kilometers, depending on the density of the grouping.
In April and May the female lays eggs.The average clutch is 4-5 eggs.In a season rich in murine rodents, their number can reach up to a dozen.The eggs are about 35 to 40 mm.Hawk owl on nest behaves aggressively.As soon feel the appearance of someone close, she starts shouting loudly, flying from place to place, and in case of danger, male and female actively defend the nest, beak striking the head of the enemy.
Chicks
Incubation lasts about a month, and in June are born kids.Their first outfit is a white fluff, which gradually turns into gray with ruffles feathers.On a dark facial disc stand out white eyebrows and the same color elongated circular spots under the eyes.Black spots located around the eye, blend above the beak.
waiting for the arrival of parents sitting in the nest chicks emit a kind of hoarse squeak.After 3 weeks they already have nearly the same plumage as adult hawk owl, a photo which shows good features of its color.Another bad being able to fly, chicks longer sit on the branches around the nest, making whistling sounds at the same time.
When young owls marks a month, they can already fly on their own distance from 20 to 30 meters.But for a long time, parents continue to take care of their young, fearlessly attacking anyone who dares to approach them.However, they cry to their hectic, means a signal of danger, forcing young freeze in a pose column.Parents also gives a cry of courage.Independent living for young owls begins around September.
very high mortality of nestlings.Even with large clutches has a litter is usually no more than three birds.In many areas, already on the verge of extinction is hawk owl.Red Data Book of the Middle Urals, the Moscow region and other regions of this type include owls along with other animals in need of protection.
