Northern Saw-whet Owl

Quick Facts

Species Type

Native

Habitat

Saw-whet owls prefer to nest in dense forests with a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees. Saw-whet owls tend to prefer nesting in riparian areas. They will sometimes live in coastal areas especially when they travel south for the winter.

Range

Saw-whet owls inhabit southern Canada and most of the United States but they prefer to nest in northern regions with cooler temperatures and dense forests. They migrate south from Canada and the northern United States each winter in October and November. During winter, migrating saw-whet owls can be found in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions.

Lifespan

8 years

Conservation Status

Stable

Appearance

Adults are seven to eight inches tall with a fifteen to twenty-inch wingspan. Females are distinguished from males by their larger size. Juvenile saw-whet owls have cinnamon-colored chests and a solid, dark brown back and head with a white “Y” shape between their eyes. Adult saw-whet owls have round heads with a mottled brown and white facial disk and white “Y” between their eyes. Their chest is white with brown specks and their backs are brown with white specks. Both juveniles and adults have bright yellow eyes.

Feeding

Saw-whet owls are completely nocturnal hunters. They most commonly feed on rodents but they will also eat insects, amphibians and small birds. Saw-whet owls in coastal areas will also eat crustaceans.

Predators

Predators of saw-whet owls include larger raptors. Barred owls are one of their main predators.

Flight

Like many owls, saw-whet owls are able to fly almost silently due to their fringed feathers that help air pass through without sound. This adaptation helps owls attack prey without warning.

Voice

Saw-whet owls will call for hours during the spring mating season. The call consists of a “too-too-too” in rhythmic, two-second intervals. This call can be heard up to a half-mile away and nearby males will respond with a lower-pitched version of the song. Saw-whet owls also make whines and squawking noises and will snap their beak when they feel threatened.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Males and females will sing to each other when courting in the spring. Saw-whet owls do not build nests but use tree cavities as nesting sites. They prefer to use abandoned woodpecker nests. They compete with boreal owls, starlings and squirrels for their nesting sites and their nests are sometimes destroyed by these competitors. A female will lay five to seven eggs each nesting season. The incubation period takes about 28 days. The female will stay in the nest from when the first egg is laid until the chicks form feathers twenty to thirty days after hatching. Once the chicks develop feathers the female might leave the nest to start hunting or find another male to mate with. The male will stay with the chicks for another month helping them hunt. Saw-whets will nest in cooler watershed states including Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York. They can sometimes be found nesting in western Maryland in Garrett County.

Did You Know?

Saw-whet owls are the smallest owl in eastern North America. They are only half the size of a screech owl.
Project Owlnet started in 1994 in Maryland to track and band migrating saw-whet owls. When owls are banded, researchers use blacklights to help determine the age of each owl. The feathers of young saw-whet owls will glow bright pink.
It is not clear where the saw-whet owl got its name. One theory is that settlers thought the owl’s call sounded like a saw being sharpened on a whet stone. The other theory is that the name came from the French word for owl, “la chouette.”

Sources and Additional Information

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Birds Raptors Forests & Uplands