Winter Hunting Strategies of Small Northern Owls
•Boreal Owl
–Mature spruce-fir forest:  no crust
•Northern Saw-whet Owl
–Less northern; semi-migratory
–Mature forest, dense vegetation:  no crust
–Favors areas with some south-facing slopes
•Northern Hawk Owl
–Mature forest:  no crust
–Infrequent snow plunger
–Shifts significantly to birds in winter
Small northern owls use various strategies to avoid having to contend with snow crust in winter.