Finding Saw-whet Owls

Saw-whet Owl hiding in the branches

Maybe you’ve always wanted to find a Northern Saw-whet Owl — but alas, no luck. Audubon is here to help!

One of the tiniest raptors in the US is easier to find than you might think. The Northern Saw-whet Owl is surprisingly widespread across the upper half of the United States in the winter, even around heavy human activity. Follow these tips on Audubon Web site and you may be lucky enough to spot one. Once you do, trust us, you’ll never be the same.

And when you do find your Saw-whet Owl, please remember the first rule of birding: do no harm. Please be sure to keep your distance! Remember, Saw-whet Owls will hold very still when they detect danger, so you might think that they aren’t worried. But approaching closely definitely will stress the bird, so stay back and enjoy.

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