Meet our smallest owl: The Northern Saw-whet

Written by Jack Sanders
Thursday, 04 December 2008 11:54

Tiny owl

Not all our owls are large, and Vi Patek of Lewisboro, N.Y., recently came across our smallest.

“Yesterday, for the first time in my life, I saw what was probably a Northern Saw-whet Owl, on our own property. What drew my attention was a massive uproar by crows, blue jays, titmice, every chickadee in town, and nuthatches too. They were all focusing on a low branch in a thick hemlock. I spent a long time looking for the cause of their upset, and finally saw a very, very small owl, only about seven inches long! He was as still as a Christmas tree ornament — hence my difficulty in finding him.  

“I sent this news to a very knowledgeable person in Bedford Audubon Society who said it was most likely a Northern Saw-whet Owl. I played its song on the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology site — I have never heard that tooting sound before. Interestingly, alarms have been raised regularly by birds at sunset in this spot in our woods next to an old owl house, which has been languishing under the residency of squirrels for the past 15 years. Maybe the tiny owl took the house??”

The Northern Saw-whet Owl is the Northeast’s smallest owl, only eight inches long, though the common Screech Owl is only a tad larger at 8.5 inches. (For a comparison, a cardinal is bigger than both, about 8.75 inches.) It eats small rodents, insects, birds, and even bats.

The unusual name comes from one of its calls, described as sch-whet, sch-whet or shweeee (a more common call is a series of toots). One authority says “saw-whet” was inspired by the call’s resembling the sound of a saw being sharpened or whetted.

While it is tiny by usual owl norms, the Northern Saw-whet is hardly North America’s smallest. That honor is held by the Elf Owl, found in the Southwest, which measures only five or so inches in length.

Feeder smasher

A recent column described the birdfeeders, belonging to Rob Kinnaird of Ridgefield, that had been knocked over by something large. Rob wasn’t the only Ridgefielder to suffer a feeder attack.

“That same week our bird feeders were also flattened,” write David and Helen Wilson, who live seven or eight miles east of the Kinnaird homestead. “Our feeders, located at the end of our back yard, are two tube feeders with 100% effective squirrel proof baffles mounted on steel pipes. The only difference with ours and the ones in your article is that ours were bent flat at the ground level, not pulled up and laid flat. This was for us also the first time we had had this happen.

“This morning we awoke again to our bird feeders bent flat to the ground. We can not imagine a deer or a coyote, both of which we have around us, doing this.  We have restored the feeders, which the birds empty fast enough, but we wonder about the wiseness of continuing to fill them.”

The Wilsons suspect that the culprit was a bear — and indeed, one was spotted Oct. 30 only a couple miles from their home. In fact, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection recommends that people who live in bear-prone areas and don’t want them in their yards should not feed birds — especially in spring and fall.

Kids and birds

Looking for a nice stocking-stuffer for a child or grandchild who has an interest in nature?

The folks at Bird Watcher’s Digest have just issued a new title in their Backyard Booklet Series, called “Bird Watching for Kids.” The 32-page, extensively illustrated booklet covers such topics as getting started with birds, using binoculars, “amazing facts” about birds, how to identify birds, backyard projects, finding birds, and frequently asked questions.

The price is only $4.99. To order a copy, visit Birdwatchersdigest.com, go to “BWD shop” and look for “backyard booklet series.” While you’re at it, check out the other titles in the series, which covers such topics as bluebirds, hummingbirds, Purple Martins, cardinals, woodpeckers, bird houses, feeding, and gardening, as well as butterflies, bats, and squirrels.

Bird count

Diana Gray reports that Earthplace, the nature center in Westport, is the base of operations for the Westport area Christmas Bird Count, which will take place Sunday, Dec. 21. See Coming Up.

Coming Up

Field Trip to Edith Read Sanctuary (Playland) and Marshlands Conservancy, Rye, with Tait Johansson, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 9 to 3 p.m., Carpool from Bylane Farm, 35 Todd Road, Katonah, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 914-232-4806, bedfordaudubon.org

Scouting Trip, for annual Bird Count, stops at coastal and inland sites, Saturday, Dec. 13, 9 to noon, Audubon Greenwich, 203-869-5272 x230, Greenwich.audubon.org.

Christmas Bird Count, Stamford/Greenwich, Sunday, Dec. 14, starting at midnight, Audubon Greenwich, 203-869-5272 x230, Greenwich.audubon.org.

Coastal Holiday Birding, along the shore from Old Lyme to Groton, Wednesday, Dec. 17, noon to evening, with dinner at inn, $40/$45, Connecticut Audubon, 800-996-8747.

Christmas Bird Count, Peekskill circle, Saturday, Dec. 20, 8 to 4, Bedford Audubon, bedfordaudubon.org, 845-677-3993.

Project Feeder Watch, all about this citizen science program, Saturday, Dec. 20, 1 to 2:30, Audubon Greenwich, 203-869-5272 x230, Greenwich.audubon.org.

Christmas Bird Count, Westport circle, Sunday, Dec. 21, Earthplace, 10 Woodside Lane, Westport, Earthplace.org, 203-227-7253

Bird walks with Luke Tiller, mostly Saturdays at 8 a.m., $10 each; to register, www. sunrisebirding. com/ walks.htm; 203-981-9924, luke.tiller @ gmail.com.

First Sundays, birding at Greenwich Point with Meredith Sampson of Wild Wings, and other guides, Dec. 7, Jan. 4, Feb. 1, March 1, April 5, May 3, meet at the second concession stand, 203-637-9822.