The northern hawk owl is named after its hawk-like hunting behavior. Like hawks, the hawk owl hunts by day using its keen eyesight to spot small birds and mammals. The red-backed vole is by far the most important prey species. But the hawk owl is an opportunist and other species of voles and several species of shrews are also caught. During those years when snowshoe hares are plentiful, hawk owls will add these much larger prey species to their list, as will many species of birds from the tiny, common red-poll to birds up to the size of ptarmigan. A hunting hawk owl perches on the top of a dead black spruce to watch for prey. If nothing catches their attention within a few minutes they will fly to a new perch.
With its talons ready for the kill, a hawk owl slams into the wet, grassy bog where a foraging vole has caught his eye. Hawk owls are very accurate hunters and nearly fifty percent of their attacks lead to a kill. During the winter when snow covers the ground that success ratio drops.