Northern Saw-whet Owl

Northern Saw-whet Owl
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Strigiformes
Family:	Strigidae
Genus:	Aegolius
Species:	A. acadicus
Binomial name
Aegolius acadicus (Gmelin, 1788)
Subspecies
Aegolius acadicus acadicus Aegolius acadicus brooksi

The Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is a small owl native to North America.

Description

The scientific description of one of the sub-species of this owl is attributed to the Rev. John Henry Keen who was a missionary in Canada in 1896.^[2] Adults are 17–22 cm (6.7–8.7 in) long with a 42–56.3 cm (17–22.2 in) wingspan.^[3][4] They can weigh from 54 to 151 g (1.9 to 5.3 oz) with an average of around 80 g (2.8 oz),^[5][6] making them one of the smallest owls in North America.^[7] The Northern Saw-whet Owl has a round, light, white face with brown and cream streaks; they also have a dark beak and yellow eyes. They resemble the Short-eared Owl, but much smaller. The underparts are pale with dark shaded areas; the upper parts are brown with white spots. They are quite common, but hard to spot.

Voice

The Northern Saw-Whet Owl makes a repeated tooting whistle sound. Some say they sound like a saw being sharpened on a whetstone.^[8] They usually make these sounds to find a mate.

Habitat

Their habitat is coniferous forests, sometimes mixed or deciduous woods, across North America. They live in tree cavities and old nests made by other small raptors. Some are permanent residents, while others may migrate south in winter or move down from higher elevations.

Some have begun to move more southeast in Indiana and neighboring states.

Nesting

Three juveniles in Oregon, USA

Northern Saw-Whet Owls lay about 5-6 white colored eggs in natural tree cavities or woodpecker holes. The father does the hunting while the mother watches and sits on her eggs.

Feeding

These birds wait on a high perch at night and swoop down on prey. They mainly eat small organisms such as small birds, mice, and the occasional chipmunk. 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.

In popular culture

Martin from the "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" novel series is a Northern Saw-whet Owl.

The song of the Saw-whet Owl is mentioned in the Grateful Dead song "Unbroken Chain" on their album Grateful Dead from the Mars Hotel.^[9]

After an online "Critter Vote", the Saw-whet Owl became the new star of Telus' mobility campaign in the summer of 2011.

References

1. ^ BirdLife International (2008). Aegolius acadicus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 24 February 2009.
2. ^ Beolens et al, Bo (2009). The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals p.220. JHU Press. pp. 574. http://books.google.com/books?id=I-kSmWLc6vYC&lpg=PA220&dq=rev%20john%20henry%20keen&pg=PA220#v=onepage&q=rev%20john%20henry%20keen&f=false. 
3. ^ [1] (2011).
4. ^ [2] (2011).
5. ^ Sibley, David (2003). The SibleyField Guide To Birds of Eastern North America. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 229. ISBN 0-679-45120-X. 
6. ^ CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B. Dunning Jr. (Editor). CRC Press (1992), ISBN 978-0849342585.
7. ^ Vanner, Michael (2003). The Encyclopedia of North American Birds. New York: Barnes&Noble. p. 192. ISBN 0-7607-3460-7. 
8. ^ Bull, John; Farrand, Jr., John (1994). National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 555. ISBN 0-679-42852-6. 
9. ^ Dodd, David. "The Annotated "Unbroken Chain"". "The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics". http://artsites.ucsc.edu/GDead/agdl/chain.html#owl. Retrieved 27 September 2010. 

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. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=177942. Retrieved 24 February 2009.