Saw-Whet Owl

With a body length of eight inches and an 18-inch wingspan, the saw-whet is the smallest Pennsylvania owl. Its plumage is dull chocolate-brown above, spotted with white, and its undersides are white spotted with dark reddish-brown. Juveniles are a rich chocolate-brown over most of their bodies. This species has no ear tufts.

The saw-whets call is a mellow, whistled note repeated mechanically, often between 100 and 130 times a minute: too,too,too,too,too,etc. This sound suggests the rasping made when sharpening a saw-hence the bird’s name. The saw-whet is nocturnal and seldom seen. By day, it roosts in young, dense hemlocks or thickets.

Saw-whet owls breed from March to April; they nest in deserted woodpecker and squirrel holes, hollow trees or stumps and nesting boxes. Females lay 4-6 eggs that hatch after 21-28 days. Juveniles leave the nest when about a month old. Saw-whets feed on insects, mice, frogs, bats, voles, shrews and small birds. In turn, they are preyed upon by barred and great horned owls.