Owls of Ohio - Ohio Department of Natural Resources

This small owl has a broad but spotty distribution in thewestern U.S. It is closely related to the Eastern screech-owl,which is common in Ohio and which until recently was placedin the same genus, Otus. The ventriloqual hooting of this littleowl is said to have one of the lowest frequencies of any NorthAmerican owl.A tiny western owl, the Northern pygmy-owl is significantlysmaller than the smallest Ohio owl, the Northern saw-whetowl. Pygmy-owls occur in a variety of forested habitats, andare often diurnal. Reputedly one of the fiercest of NorthAmerican owls in spite of their diminutive stature, they areknown to enter towns and capture songbirds at backyardfeeders.O T H E R N O R T H A M E R I C A N O W L S 55Range acrossNorth AmericaBreedingWinteringYear-roundRange acrossNorth AmericaBreedingWinteringYear-round