| The saw-whet owl, so named because one of its calls sounds like a saw being filed is, without question one of the most endearing of all living creatures. Weighing in at about three ounces and standing about six inches tall, it is the most charming bird I have ever seen. Saw-whets are essentially a northern species. The southern edge of its breeding range extends into northern Ohio, but the vast majority breed in Canada.
A well defined migration of saw-whets takes place in mid-October with the first individuals appearing in our area later in the month. Some pause for a day or two and move on, others remain until spring.
By any standard the saw-whet is quite a rare bird in southwestern Ohio. I have studied it extensively since 1945 and with the help of friends have tagged over two hundred individuals. Numbers fluctuate from year to year, we have found as few as one and as many as twenty-seven.
Saw-whets occupy young, brushy woodlands and roost as low as four feet off the ground in such cover as pine, cedar and honeysuckle thickets. They are extremely tolerant of people. Although their vision is perfect by day, they are reluctant to fly when approached and often may be caught in the hand.
Length: 7 inches
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