Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

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are winter visitors. Like the long-eared owl, our impression of their status is skewed bythe difficulty of finding these secretive birds. In recent years, a research effort known asProject Owlnet, which is a consortium of bird banders in North America and Canadathat focuses on Northern saw-whet owls, has shed considerable light on populations of thisowl and their seasonal movements.In Ohio, a group of banders affiliated with Owlnet began saw-whet studies nearChillicothe in Ross County in 2003. In the fall of 2004, they caught an amazing 45 owlsat one location within a two-month period. To date, in four seasons of banding they havecaptured nearly 120 different owls. Owls caught in Chillicothe have been recaptured inIndiana, Minnesota, and West Virginia. Owls previously banded in Maryland, Ontario,Canada, and Michigan have been caught in Chillicothe. The frequency of captures in Ohiooffers a glimpse into the potential numbers of owls that may migrate through Ohio.Most saw-whet owls pass through Ohio on their way to wintering grounds in states to oursouth. Some individuals do overwinter, though; several are found each winter.Documented nesting records are very scarce. There were summer records from about 16counties prior to 1940; all were in the northern half of the state. In recent years, there havebeen but a few reports of potential nesters, mostly in the Cleveland area. Based on historicalreports, it seems likely that only Ashtabula County may have once had an establishedbreeding population, but this population is probably no longer present. However, this owl iseasily overlooked and it’s possible that they still sporadically breed in Ohio.Saw-whets are very rare Ohiobreeders. Juveniles arechocolate brown.Photo by: ©Alan Brady / VIREOHab itat s aw -w h e t o w lThe saw-whet is a forest owl, although tolerant of a wide variety of woodlands. Peakbreeding populations occur in coniferous forests, but saw-whets will nest in a range of foresttypes, and age classes. Migrant and wintering birds turn up in shrubby thickets, youngsuccessional woods, grapevine tangles, planted conifer groves, and scattered ornamentalconifers in cemeteries. Probably hunts mostly in open woods or along woodland bordersor openings.Hab its saw -w h e t o w lNorthern saw-whet owls are strictly nocturnal and very difficult to locate duringthe day, as roosting owls blend well with their surroundings. Owls holed up in thickgrapevine tangles are especially difficult to spot. However, they tend to perch fairly lowto the ground – anywhere from five to fifteen feet – which makes spotting one a bit moreAdult saw-whet captured bybanders near Chillicothe, Ohio.Photo by: Bill Bosstic
likely. When one is found, a very close approach is often possible without unduly disturbingthe bird. They are quite tame, and particularly on sunny days, will hardly open their eyesto look at an intruder.An interesting behavior is their habit of food caching. When temperatures are very cold,owls will sometimes catch more prey than can be eaten, and stash the surplus in trees.When hungry, the owl will remove the cached item and hold it with its feet, incubating thevole or mouse like an egg and thus thawing it out so it can be consumed.Saw-whets become active and commence hunting about one-half hour after nightfall,and return to roost sites well before dawn.C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 37D i e t s aw -w h e t o w lAlmost entirely small mammals. Consumes lots of rodents and shrews that frequentwooded habitats, such as the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and short-tailedshrew (Blarina brevicauda). Saw-whets are known to capture birds when opportunitiesarise, including the Northern cardinal, winter wren, and hermit thrush.N e s ting saw -w h e t o w lNesting activities commence in April on average, preceded by an increase invocalizations. Northern saw-whet owls are cavity-nesters, and most often use holesconstructed by woodpeckers, particularly those of the Northern flicker and pileatedwoodpecker. They will use artificial nest boxes; one of the last Ohio nesting records wasof a pair using a box. Clutches normally contain five or six eggs, laid about two daysapart. These hatch after four weeks, and the young leave the nest three or four weekslater. Recently fledged young would most likely be seen from late May into early July.Vo c aliz ati o n s s aw -w h e t o w lThe most common and easily recognized call is the male’s advertising song, a longseries of monotonous piping whistles, given at a rate of about two whistles per second.This song can be given for lengthy periods without pause. Females sometimes deliver asimilar version during the breeding season. Saw-whets have been documented utteringat least eight other types of calls, most not nearly so easily recognized as the advertisingsong. These include bill snapping, soft whines, chitters, and ascending low screams. Someof these calls vaguely resemble calls made by sora rails.While saw-whets are unlikely to be heard here, unless one lucks into a nestingHeavily used habitat byfall migrants. This site nearChillicothe is a location wherebanders have captured upto 45 owls in less than a twomonthperiod.Banders hold a saw-whet underblack light. Feathers that appearpinkish are the newest andindicate the age of the bird.Photos by: ODNR Division of Wildlife / Jim McCormac
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Page 5 and 6: with both eyes simultaneously. Anot
Page 7 and 8: M o d i fi ed Fe ath er s owl morph
Page 9 and 10: Pelle t s an d W h ite wa s h findi
Page 11 and 12: Ab o u t this Bookle t and CD owls
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Page 15 and 16: y people placing nest boxes in barn
Page 17 and 18: BTRACKS7-12arred owlStrix varia (St
Page 19 and 20: C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 19D
Page 21 and 22: Eastern screech-owlMegascops asio (
Page 23 and 24: C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 23N
Page 25 and 26: Great horned owlBubo virginianus (B
Page 27 and 28: Normally solitary except during the
Page 29 and 30: C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 29T
Page 31 and 32: O h i o S tat u s l o ng - e a re d
Page 33 and 34: N e s ting long - e a re d o w lLon
Page 35: Northern saw-whet owlAegolius acadi
Page 39 and 40: Short-eared owlAsio flammeus (Ay-se
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Page 43 and 44: C O M M O N O W L S O F O H I O 43i
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Page 49 and 50: Like the Northern hawk owl and grea
Page 51 and 52: This is one of North America’s mo
Page 53 and 54: This is the smallest owl in the wor
Page 55 and 56: This small owl has a broad but spot
Page 57 and 58: This species has become a symbol of
Page 59 and 60: O T H E R N O R T H A M E R I C A N
Page 61 and 62: Publication FundingFunding for this
Page 63 and 64: A ppa l achi a n Fron tAu du bon So

Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

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