Northern Saw-whet Owl

At eight inches long, the Northern Saw-whet Owl is one of Canada’s smallest owls. Their habits include hiding in conifers and holly trees, applying eyeliner, and eating their weaker competitors. They’re nocturnal, and their high-pitched hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo call apparently sounds like a saw being sharpened (hence their name). When weakling Saw-whets aren’t readily available, they’ll eat mice, voles, and small birds such as chickadees, wrens, and sparrows. In retaliation, these small birds will mob sleeping owls in the daylight to drive them away. Because Saw-whets are so good at hiding, listening for the ruckus raised by those mobs is a good way for birders to locate them.

I saw this Saw-whet at Reifel Bird Sanctuary on January 7. They’re regular winter residents at the Sanctuary, so if you want to see one, pay them a visit! Ask at the front desk for directions to this owl as well as to the Great Horned Owls who sleep nearby. You can also scan the marshes between the paths and the ocean for the Short-eared Owl to complete the owl trifecta.

(Okay, owls don’t wear eyeliner. But the Saw-whets have actually been known to eat each other.)