Northern Saw-whet Owl
(Aegolius acadicus)

Overview

Summary

© Chuck Kling
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The Northern Saw-whet Owl is the most common owl found across most of southern Canada. Like other owls, it is a difficult species to monitor because of its nocturnal habits. Results from provincial owl surveys combined with continental data from the Christmas Bird Count suggest a possible increase in the population in Canada relative to 1970, though the reliability of this assessment is considered low. For an assessment of the population status of the Northern Saw-whet Owl brooksi subspecies found only on the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii) in British Columbia, see that account. This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

See also:

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• BirdLife International / NatureServe

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation of world population

Conservation and management

Northern Saw-whet Owls are highly nocturnal predators; their main prey over most of their range is the deer mouse (Rasmussen et al. 2008). They nest in cavities excavated by large woodpeckers (Northern Flickers and Pileated Woodpeckers), but will also readily use appropriate nest boxes (Rasmussen et al. 2008). Local population densities can vary widely from year to year, presumably fluctuating with the density of prey (Marks and Doremus 2000, Confer et al. 2014). The Northern Saw-whet Owl prefers older forests and woodlots (Rasmussen et al. 2008), which provide the birds with the nest-sites and openings for foraging that they require. Given the changes to these habitats as a result of industrial logging, it is important to monitor this species’ population trends in the future. For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and to view available recovery documents, see the SARA Registry.

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• Confer, J.L., L.L. Kanda, and I. Li. 2014. Northern Saw-whet Owl: regional patterns for fall migration and demographics revealed by banding data. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 126:305-320. Confer, J.L., L.L. Kanda, and I. Li. 2014. Northern Saw-whet Owl: regional patterns for fall migration and demographics revealed by banding data. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 126:305-320. (Link)
• Marks, J.S. and J.H. Doremus. 2000. Are Northern Saw-whet owls Nomadic? Journal of Raptor Research 34:299-304.
• Rasmussen, J.L., S.G. Sealy and R.J. Cannings. 2008. Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Rasmussen, J.L., S.G. Sealy and R.J. Cannings. 2008. Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)