Bird name:

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Aegolius acadicus

Order

STRIGIFORMES

Family

True Owls (Strigidae)

Code 4

NSWO

Code 6

AEGACA

ITIS

177942

Breeding Location:

Marshes, freshwater, Forest

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Fairly common, Declining

Egg Color:

White

Number of Eggs:

4 - 7

Incubation Days:

26 - 29

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Uses no nest materials in tree cavity, abandoned woodpecker hole or nesting box.

Migration:

Irregular

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General

Northern Saw-whet Owl: Small, large headed owl with brown upperparts and white underparts with thick brown stripes. Head has gray facial disk with white "Y” between eyes; lacks ear tufts. Bill is dark. Wings are brown with white spots. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is dark brown overall with buff-orange breast and belly, and white "Y” on face.

Range and Habitat

Northern Saw-whet Owl: Found from southern Alaska and Canada to northern Mexico; migrate to southern parts of range during winter, especially when food is scarce. Preferred habitats include dense coniferous or mixed hardwood forests.

Breeding and Nesting

Northern Saw-whet Owl: Four to seven white eggs are laid in a natural cavity or abandoned woodpecker hole. Incubation ranges from 26 to 28 days and is carried out by the female; male brings her food while incubating.

Foraging and Feeding

Northern Saw-whet Owl: Diet consists of insects, small rodents, moles, shrews, bats, birds, and frogs; can take prey near its own size; forages from low perches or by soaring along the edges of open parks and meadows.

Vocalization

Northern Saw-whet Owl: Only vocalizes during the breeding season. Primary courtship call is a monotonous, whistled "hoop", emitted at about 1½ notes per second, sometimes lasting for several hours. Territorial call is a series of short, clear notes. Common name comes from a "skiew" call made when alarmed, resembling the whetting of a saw. When approaching the nest with food, the male gives a rapid burst of toots, and the female responds with a soft "swEE."

Similar Species

Northern Saw-whet Owl: Boreal Owl is slightly larger, has yellow or white bill, rectangular head, white facial disk, and is darker brown overall.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America