“Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Cute With an Attitude”

Birders who prowl through conifer groves in winter sometimes find this round-headed little gnome perched there, sitting still as if to avoid notice. Avoiding notice is a task at which this owl often succeeds; it is overlooked in many places where it occurs. A tiny owl with a catlike face, oversized head, and bright yellow eyes, the Northern Saw-whet Owl is one of the most expressive owls in this series—and the fiercest when it comes to catching prey. They are highly nocturnal and live in extensively wooded areas—listen for their recorder-like toot!

Late at night in the breeding season, males give a rhythmic tooting song that may go on for hours with scarcely a break. The bird was named for this song, which reminded settlers of the sound of a whetstone sharpening a saw. Northern Saw-whet Owls eat mostly small mammals, hunting them at night from a low perch along the forest edge. The most common prey are deer mice and white-footed mice, but when migrating, they also eat other small rodents or songbirds. 

Females probably choose the nest site, although males sometimes participate by perching in potential sites while giving their too-too-too call. They nest in previously excavated holes (usually those of Northern Flickers or Pileated Woodpeckers) in dead snags. They also use nest boxes. The female Northern Saw-whet Owl does all the incubation and brooding, while the male does the hunting. When the youngest nestling is about 18 days old, the female leaves the nest to roost elsewhere. The male continues bringing food, which the older nestlings may help feed to their younger siblings. After she leaves, the nest can get quite messy. 

Although saw-whets are usually monogamous, each male may have more than one mate when prey is abundant. Males start giving their too-too-too call as early as late January, before females arrive, and continue until May. When a female hears a male calling, she responds with a high-pitched test call or a series of whistles. The male circles her about 20 times in flight before landing beside her and presenting a prey item. Some year-round resident males or pairs probably maintain territories throughout the year, but each year they pair up with new mates. Larger raptors prey on saw-whets, including Eastern Screech-Owls, Spotted Owls, Great Horned Owls, Cooper’s Hawks, Broad-winged Hawks, and Peregrine Falcons.

As with most other owls, populations are hard to estimate due to secretive habit. People can maintain the suitability of forest habitat by allowing dead trees to remain standing to provide nest cavities. Saw-whets take readily to nest boxes, which can also be used to mitigate the loss of natural sites. In the future, large-scale habitat shifts caused by climate change may affect the southern range limit of this species.

Sources: Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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