A new raptor ambassador is joining The Raptor Center’s (TRC) education team, and she is sure to delight bird lovers.

On August 2, 2025, TRC was fortunate to welcome a six-week- old captive-bred northern hawk owl (Surnia ulula) into our raptor ambassador program. Northern hawk owls are medium-sized owls, not often seen in human care. In the wild, hawk owls are found in the boreal forests of near-polar regions.

But why is this owl named after hawks? Well, they are classified as an owl due to their most dominant features, but have hawk characteristics not seen in other owls. They are diurnal, or active during the day like hawks, using mostly eyesight to hunt small mammals and birds.

Another feature that differs from other owls is that their ears are symmetrical behind their facial disc. This doesn't stop them, however, from hearing and catching small mammals under 30” of snow.

These birds are not secretive despite their remote territory. In fact, their favorite place to perch is the very top of a conifer (evergreen) tree. Since they have low population densities, Northern hawk owls are not rare but are rarely seen in the U.S. The Raptor Center feels very fortunate to share this spectacular bird with the public in the coming months.

Stay tuned while this little one makes her way through ambassador training.