Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius acadicus

Conservation status | Probably some declines in numbers with loss of habitat, but still widespread and fairly common. |
---|---|
Family | Owls |
Habitat | Forests, conifers, groves. Breeds most commonly in coniferous forest of various kinds, including open pine forest, spruce-fir associations, white cedar swamps; also mixed woods such as pine-oak, spruce-poplar, and others. In some places, breeds in oak woodland or in streamside groves in arid country. Winters in habitats with dense cover, especially groves of conifers. |
Photo Gallery
Feeding Behavior
Hunts almost entirely at night, mostly by waiting on low perches and then swooping down on prey. Finds its prey both by sound and by sight.
Eggs
5-6, sometimes 4-7, rarely 3-9. White. Incubation is by female only, 27-29 days. Female remains in nest almost constantly from time first egg is laid; male brings food to her throughout this time. Young: At first, adult male brings all food to nest, female feeds it to young. Female remains with chicks until youngest is about 18 days old; then she may begin to hunt for them also, or may depart. Young leave nest at about 4-5 weeks, remain together near nest and are fed (mostly by male) for at least another 4 weeks. Female may sometimes find another mate and nest a second time in one year.
Young
At first, adult male brings all food to nest, female feeds it to young. Female remains with chicks until youngest is about 18 days old; then she may begin to hunt for them also, or may depart. Young leave nest at about 4-5 weeks, remain together near nest and are fed (mostly by male) for at least another 4 weeks. Female may sometimes find another mate and nest a second time in one year.
Diet
Mostly small rodents. Feeds mostly on mice that live in forest, especially deer mice; also many voles. Also eats other mice, shrews, young squirrels, sometimes small birds and large insects. Resident race on the Haida Gwaii islands, British Columbia, may eat crustaceans and insects in intertidal zone.
Nesting
Early in breeding season, male sings incessantly at night to defend territory and attract a mate. Nest site is in cavity in tree, usually 15-60' above ground. Mostly use abandoned woodpeckers holes, especially those of flickers and Pileated Woodpeckers. Will also use artificial nest boxes. Apparently will not use same site two years in a row.
Illustration © David Allen Sibley.
Learn more about these drawings.
Text © Kenn Kaufman, adapted from
Lives of North American Birds
Download Our Bird Guide App
Migration
Some remain all year on breeding range, others move south in autumn. Some western mountain birds may move downhill for winter. Migration is relatively early in spring, late in fall. Migrates at night.

- All Seasons - Common
- All Seasons - Uncommon
- Breeding - Common
- Breeding - Uncommon
- Winter - Common
- Winter - Uncommon
- Migration - Common
- Migration - Uncommon
See a fully interactive migration map for this species on the Bird Migration Explorer.
Learn moreSongs and Calls
Usually silent; in late winter and spring utters monotonous series of tooting whistles.Learn more about this sound collection.
How Climate Change Will Reshape the Range of the Northern Saw-whet Owl
Audubon’s scientists have used 140 million bird observations and sophisticated climate models to project how climate change will affect this bird’s range in the future.
Zoom in to see how this species’s current range will shift, expand, and contract under increased global temperatures.
Climate threats facing the Northern Saw-whet Owl
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.