SAW-WHET
OWL
#SWO-400
Notecards Only
Also available in Notecard Assortment Pack #AST-501
Smallest
of the eastern owls, the saw-whet is only seven to eight inches
high with a 17- to 20-inch wingspread. An abundance of loose downy
feathers gives it a larger appearance. Its upper parts are brown,
spotted with white. The head is streaked with white and lacks
ear tufts. The white underparts are striped with brown.
The
saw-whet is named for one of its many calls, which sounds like
the up and back stroke of a file when sharpening a large saw.
Nesting
territories in dense forested habitats either have water nearby
or are slightly swampy. Saw-whets prefer holes excavated by flickers,
but have been known to nest in natural cavities. They typically
use nests as found and do not add nesting material.
Saw-whets
feed on mice, insects, and small birds. They hunt silently at
night, and during the day retire to some dark evergreen thicket
or a hole in a tree to sleep away the hours of sunlight.
Text © 1997 Dianne Harrah, Drawing ©
1997 Bill Harrah
.
. . BIRDS OF PREY . . . (Click on an image to
see the actual notecard size)