The Northern Hawk Owl is a rare and exciting find anywhere in southern British Columbia.

The reason they are called Northern Hawk Owl is that it is essentially a sub-artic bird. Occasionally, though, they wander south during sever winters when food shortages occur in the north. These owls hunt during the day, which makes them easier to observe

In the winter of 2006/07 there were a number of sightings in the burnt forest of the Vermilion Valley in Kootenay National Park.