Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)

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A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

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Color Photograph: U.S. Forest Service

Color Photograph: © by and courtesy of John Cassady

Color Photograph: U.S. Fish and Widlife Service

Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 7 inches. A very small, brown owl. Crown of head brown with white streaks. Head without ear-like tufts of feathers. Facial disks white to gray, without black margins. Bill dark. Eyes yellow. Back brown, with limited white spots and streaks. Underside white with diffuse, rusty-brown, vertical streaks.

Similar Species:  The Northern Saw-whet Owl is most likely to be confused with the Boreal Owl. The facial disks of the Boreal Owl are margined with black. The bill is yellow, not dark. Also the crown of the head is spotted with white, not streaked.

Breeding Range (see map below): The Northern Saw-whet Owl is resident throughout southern Canada extending southward in the mountains throughout the western United States. The species is also resident in much of the northeastern United States extending southward in the Appalachian Mountains to Georgia.

Overwintering Range:  This species overwinters south of its resident range in the Great Plains and the middle and eastern United States.

Habitat: The Northern Saw-Whet Owl breeds in coniferous forest. During the winter individuals may be found in a wider variety of habitats including city parks, gardens, and suburban areas.

Food: Mostly small mammals, but also occasionally birds.

Behavior: The Northern Saw-whet Owl is nocturnal. With its excellent cryptic coloration, the species is seldom seen, hiding in the dense foliage of conifers. The bird is usually silent, but in late winter and spring it produces a series of short whistles.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 5 to 6 white eggs. The eggs are laid without a nest in a tree hole or cavity.