Northern Saw-whet Owl

There is no single easy ID on the northern saw-whet owl; there are three or four, and you learn them one trip at a time.

Behavior tells the story: watch for twenty minutes and the bird tells you what it is in three or four actions.

Regional occurrence notes: I usually catch this species in the north america part of its range.

First recorded sighting in this notebook was at a marshy edge near home in summer 2023. Since then I’ve logged sightings in four different states.

Some of my worst photographs are of this species. I keep trying anyway.