The Northern Saw-Whet Owl
by Nathan Kraukunas
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was reprinted from LORE magazine, a benefit of museum membership. ©1996 Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc.
The Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius a. acadicus) is the smallest owl in Wisconsin. It is named for its distinctive call, which is said to resemble the sound of a saw being sharpened with a file. this tiny bird of prey is almost exclusively nocturnal and very rarely seen during daylight hours. It roosts in evergreens or other dense foliage, remaining almost totally motionless and blending with its surroundings. It usually is a very tame bird and when discovered may be approached quite closely. Adult birds are brown with tan and white streaks, while young birds are completely dark brown with a blackish face and have conspicuous white patches or "eyebrows" forming a broad V between their eyes. Mature adult saw-whets average about seven and a half inches in length and weigh between four and five ounces. Their diet consists of rodents (mainly mice), small squirrels, grasshoppers, beetles and other insects. Some of the old colloquial names once used for the saw- whet are the Acadian Owl, White-fronted Owl, Kirtland's Owl, Sparrow Owl and Queen Charlotte Owl.
Contained in the file cabinets of the Vertebrate Zoology Section are many old and interesting records acquired by past curators, the most notable of them being Owen J. Gromme. In these files are reports from early Wisconsin naturalists and observant citizens of local wildlife, as shown in the following accounts with encounters with the Northern Saw-whet owl.
1943
"A Whitefish Bay resident found a little Saw-whet Owl, unable to fly, in his backyard. The bird was emaciated and had an injured wing. The wing was dressed but the owl removed the bandages. Miss Oelmschlarger 'found that there was too much feathers and too little owl for an effective bandaging job.' The bird was force-fed but later voluntarily took food.
The owl became tame and was exhibited at programs for children's groups. After being tagged by Owen Gromme of the Milwaukee Public Museum the bird was released. It flew into a spruce tree but was attacked by a pair of robins. It went from tree to tree to escape its tormentors and then disappeared." Anonymous
1913
In view of the fact that the Saw-whet Owl is regarded as a very rare breeder in Wisconsin, the following observations are of interest.
"I have rented a piece of land some 200 acres in Waukesha County. On it is a lake, probably fifteen acres in area. The land surrounding it is well wooded. Suddenly a small owl, no bigger than a robin, darted at me just missing my head. It repeated this several times snapping its bill as it came. The only other sound it made was a single, plaintive note, something like the whine of a puppy. The bird was a light buffy brown, streaked with a darker brown. I noted very carefully that it had no ear-tufts. It followed me for almost a quarter of a mile, continually darting at my head and snapping its bill.
The next night I returned with a flashlight. The owl repeated its former maneuvers, only this time its was joined by its mate. I had no difficulty catching it in the flashlight beam, and had an excellent opportunity to note at close range its markings.
I should have collected it as a specimen for permanent state record, but I was more interested to note whether or not the bird was a breeder. I returned the next morning, but could find no trace of a nest. So far I still have been unsuccessful, but every night the occurrence takes place. So there must be a nest or young in the vicinity." DeWayne Townsend
1903
"This little owl is most often found in Wisconsin in winter, but this is when food is scarce and it consequently comes about barns and dwellings, and is more frequently seen. It certainly used to be in Jefferson County and Thure Kumlien took specimens in May, and at least once in august. For some reason it is not as common as formerly. Dr. Hoy, writing in 1852, considered it common at Racine, and it was known to breed there. Some of his specimens of (Nyctala kirtlandii) (=juv. acadica) were hatched near that place. Willard also claims it is a breeding bird for Brown County. Mr. Clark considers it rare in Dunn County. In the Copeland-Russel collection in Milwaukee are four specimens; three from Iron County, September and October 1898, and March, 1899, and one from Waukesha County, November 18, 1897.
During the winter of 1889-1890 two specimens remained about the barns on the Krumlien homestead at Milton all winter. The larger of these, presumable the female, hunted a great deal during the daytime, and become an expert sparrow catcher. Its mate did not seem nearly so expert, yet he did not go hungry as it was a common sight to see both owls feeding from the same sparrow. These birds became very tame, so that one could almost put his hands upon them." Ludwig Kumlien.
1874
"Mr. McIllwraith, under date of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, January 20, 1873, writes as follows: 'In looking over the Naturalist of April, 1871, I observe a notice of the capture of a specimen of the White-fronted Owl in Maine, and the writer of the note, Prof. A.E. Verril, says that the only other instance of its occurrence in the United States of which he is aware, is the specimen taken by Dr. Hoy, at Racine.'" Elliott Coues.
1913
"Today we are going to look for the Saw-whet Owl. Our search will lead us into the depths of the snow-laden tamarack marshes and tangled willow thickets. We need not be very cautious for the snow muffles our footsteps, and these little owls are anything by shy. Although a fairly common resident in certain localities in southern Wisconsin, they are seldom seen, and are therefore wrongly classed as an extremely rare bird. Their small size, protective coloration, and retiring habits may account for this apparent scarcity. Their silent flight is also a factor, for if we do not see them we certainly will not hear them. The bright yellow eyes are the most conspicuous thing about them, their general coloration of olive, white, and brown, blends perfectly with snow covered trees, and unless a movement betrays their presence they are likely to pass unnoticed. The length of this little earless owl is less than eight inches, and it must be classed as the smallest eastern representative of the Bobonidae. Its food consists almost wholly of mice, though I have noticed a few instances in which juncos and Tree Sparrows, and once a nuthatch, fell victims to its hunger.
Like others of the family it seeks hollows in trees for nesting sites, and its small size enables it to use flicker and woodpecker holes for this purpose. The Saw-whet is one of our most interesting bird neighbors, and one always willing to sleepily pose for us, providing we do not get too near. Let us visit him more often -- he is always at home, although we are likely to find him 'out' unless we search carefully." DeWayne Townsend.
1942
"On the very cold morning of February 19, a Saw-whet Owl was observed sitting near a bird feeding station. When approached within three feet, it flew to the branch of a nearby pine and remained with eyes nearly closed for fifteen minutes. Suddenly it dove at the chickadees on the feeding table. It missed and the birds took to the cover of nearby evergreens, chirping excitedly and scolding. The excitement caused a gathering of Hairy Woodpeckers and Blue Jays. After much noise the little owl was chased away." Anonymous.
1883
"This exquisite little species does not appear to be abundant anywhere in the United States. I have obtained but a single specimen, and this was found dead near Whitewater, December 10, 1887. Mr. Nelson speaks of its not uncommon occurrence in Illinois, and over a dozen specimens were taken in the city of Chicago within two years." F.H. King.
The Bird Collection in the Vertebrate Zoology Section contains 28 specimens of the Northern Saw-whet Owl. All of the specimens were collected in Wisconsin and the earliest was collected by Thure Kumlien (an early Wisconsin naturalist/ornithologist) on December 12th of 1882 in Jefferson County. The last specimen included into the collection was 100 years later on January 31st of 1982, when a captive bird in the Education Section flew into a window. We have received other specimens since 1982, all are in our freezer waiting to be processed into either a study skin, mount, skeletal material or a specimen kept in alcohol.
These specimens of saw-whet owls like all of our specimens, are much like library books -- they are kept by the museum for future generations to study and read in specific ways. As a record of what was in a certain place at a specific time, they become a valuable historical and environmental record. These specimens become more valuable as each year passes, especially as more land is encroached upon by man. Many birds, other animals and plants are lost annually to human property development and pollution of habitat. Without these historical specimens researchers may never know what would be lost or what has been lost. Historical specimens of non-migratory birds are valuable in testing for environmental quality. Toxic chemicals and metals in their immediate environment accumulate in their bodies and min-samples of their tissues may be tested to determine what their local habitat was like in 1890 for 1920. Testing birds from one geographic region for certain environmental pollutants and comparing them to old museum specimens from that area from the same substances may indicate to researchers what environmental hazards have entered specific habitats. This in turn relates to hazards which humans may eventually encounter. Besides use by researchers, specimens in the collections are used by artists and various university and nature center classes from throughout Milwaukee County and Wisconsin.
All of the scientific sections of the museum keep specimens for research today and for future generations. Written records and articles are also filed away, as these Northern Saw-whet Owl accounts where by curators of the 1920s and 1930s.