Saw-whet Owl

Meet "Cricket" the Saw-whet Owl! Cricket has a wing injury.

About Saw-whet Owls
(Information taken from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

A small owl of all types of woodlands, the Northern Saw-whet Owl can be found roosting in winter in small, dense conifer trees, sometimes even in parks and gardens. Its defense upon discovery is to sit still and not fly, leading people to perceive them as "tame."

Description

• Size: 18-21 cm (7-8 in)
• Wingspan: 42-48 cm (17-19 in)
• Weight: 65-151 g (2.29-5.33 ounces)
• Small owl.
• No ear tufts.
• Face white, outlined in brown and white.
• Underparts white streaked with brown.
• Eyes yellow.
• Bill black.
• Back, wings, and tail brown spotted with white.
• White streaks on brown forehead.
• Y-shaped white marking between and above eyes.

Sex Differences

• Sexes alike in plumage, female larger.

Immature

• Upperparts completely dark brown, underparts bright buff. White Y on face, made up of eyebrows and white mark between eyes. Lacks white spots on back.

Food

• Woodland mice. Occasionally some small birds and large insects.

Range

Summer Range:

• Breeds from southern Alaska eastward to Nova Scotia, southward to northern United States, and further southward in mountains.

Winter Range:

• Winters throughout breeding range, and southward across the United States.

Habitat

• Breeds in all types of forests within its range. Winters in a variety of habitats with dense vegetation for roosting.

Behavior

Foraging:

• Hunts at night from low perches.

Reproduction

Nest Type:

• Nests in tree cavity, usually old woodpecker hole. Adds no nesting material. Also uses nest boxes.

Egg Description:

• White.

Clutch Size:

• Usually 5-6 eggs. Range: 4-10.

Condition at Hatching:

• Helpless, eyes closed, covered in white down.

Conservation Status

• Few data exist on population trends.

Sound

• Song a series of whistled toots.

Our Other Educational Birds:

American Kestrel
Bald Eagle
Barred Owl
Great Blue Heron
Great Horned Owl
Peregrine Falcon
Red Tailed Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Rough Legged Hawk
Saw Whet Owl
Screech Owl
Trumpeter Swan
Turkey Vulture

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