Northern saw-whet owl
| Northern Saw-whet Owl | |
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| Species: | A. acadicus
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| Aegolius acadicus (Gmelin, 1788)
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Aegolius acadicus acadicus | |
The Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is a miniature owl native to North America.
Adults are 18 cm long with a 43 cm wingspan. The Northern Saw-Whet Owl has a round, light, grey face with brown streaks; they also have a dark beak and yellow eyes. The underparts are pale with dark streaks; the upper parts are brown with white spots.
Their breeding habitat is coniferous forests, sometimes mixed or deciduous woods, across North America. They nest in a tree cavities, usually created by a woodpecker. They will sometimes use nesting boxes.
Some are permanent residents, while others may migrate south in winter or move down from higher elevations.
These birds wait on a low perch at night and swoop down on prey. They mainly eat small rodents; on the Pacific coast they may also eat crustaceans and aquatic insects. Like many owls, these birds have excellent hearing and exceptional vision in low light.
The Saw-Whet Owl was named when a member of the National Audubon Society heard the call of a barn owl, which is said to resemble a saw being sharpened with a whetstone, and mistakenly attributed it to this smaller species. It is fairly common, but not always easy to spot.
Martin from the "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" series is a Northern Saw-Whet Owl
References
External links
- Northern Saw-whet Owl Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Northern Saw-whet Owl - Aegolius acadicus - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
- Northern Saw-whet Owl Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- "Aegolius acadicus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. 24 February.
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