Northern Hawk Owl
Northern Hawk Owl has declined: down 36% on the route-weighted index since 1984.
About the Northern Hawk Owl
The Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) is a North American member of the Owls (Strigidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the birds of prey.
- Size
- 5–27.5 in long (13–70 cm) — a nocturnal raptor (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Live prey — small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and large insects (carrion for vultures).
- Range
- Recorded on 39 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 2 states, most concentrated in the BCR 4.
- Family
- Strigidae · Birds of prey
Notable Northern Hawk Owl Trends
No notable trend signals for Northern Hawk Owl. See the full index history below.
Northern Hawk Owl Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Northern Hawk Owl is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.00 (95% range 0.00–0.00). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±154.7%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2026 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2027 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2028 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2029 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Where the Northern Hawk Owl Is Detected
BBS routes recording Northern Hawk Owl, sized by most recent count.
Northern Hawk Owl Population Trend by State
| Alaska | -76% | 1984 | 36 |
| Minnesota | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
Northern Hawk Owl Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| BCR 4 | -60% | 1992 | 28 |
Northern Hawk Owl Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 36% since 1984.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.