Meet the tiny saw-whet owl, which doesn't give a hoot

Many owl species are notoriously hard to find. Walking through the neighborhood at about sunset one evening a couple of weeks ago, I nearly tripped and fell when an owl flew into a tree right next to me. I managed to take a couple of dark photos and recognized it as a barred owl. Opportunities to see an owl like this don't come around very often. Make the owl small and nocturnal, like the northern saw-whet owl, and they become incredibly hard to find. Exceptionally elusive and skilled at camouflage, they are a true challenge to spot. Saw-whet owls roost during the day in dense foliage, remaining very still to avoid detection. They prefer old-growth forests, hiding deep in the trees, making them hard to see. The northern saw-whet owl is Ohio's smallest owl and one of the smallest owl species in North America. They are only about 7-8 inches tall and weigh less than three ounces. Its unusual name comes from the high-pitched, shrill sound it makes, resembling the whetting of a saw. Their distinctive call, "too-too-too," carries well over large distances (it sounds a lot like a service vehicle or tow motor backing up). When I think of the saw-whet owl, I can't help but think of the Furby — the revolutionary electronic toy released in 1998 (yes, I had one!). It resembled an owl and was designed to use voice recognition to start speaking English gradually over time. Like many owls, the saw-whet has big eyes and is equipped with excellent hearing, which it uses to hunt. It can locate prey even under a blanket of snow or dense ground cover. Their diet includes not only small mammals like voles and mice but also occasionally small birds and insects. They are cavity nesters and have the ability to perch quietly, nearly out of sight, before pursuing their prey. According to "All About Birds," saw-whet owls can be resident or long-distance migrants: "Many individuals migrate south or to lower elevations for the winter, while others stay in one place year-round. About once every four years, they irrupt, heading south in much higher numbers than usual. They migrate at night, using several known migration routes across the continent, and can cross large expanses of water." In the wild, saw-whet owls generally live only three to five years, though some individuals in captivity have reached over 10 years. They face many challenges, both in their ecology and due to human impact. They are vulnerable to larger raptors, such as great horned owls, barred owls and hawks. They may also fall prey to mammals like raccoons and martens. With a high metabolic rate, they need to eat often, and food availability is crucial. Migration hazards include storms and exhaustion, and their small size makes them vulnerable to environmental stress. Human impacts include habitat destruction, fragmentation, window and car collisions and wind turbines. Additionally, they can be poisoned by rodenticides. Please do not poison rodents! Tom Bartlett and Northern Saw-Whet Owls My wife and I gave a talk for the Kelleys Island Audubon a couple of years ago. While we were there, we stayed at a charming bed and breakfast owned by Tom and Pat Hayes. They mentioned a bird bander named Tom Bartlett and shared the incredible work he has done on Kelleys Island. What we learned about him was nothing short of amazing. Tom started banding birds in 1971 and holds a Master Bird Banding Permit. His first bird was a red-tailed hawk, and since then, he has banded over 100,000 birds across 225 species. His specialty is saw-whet owls. Saw-whet owls are one of the most commonly banded owl species in North America, and Bartlett has banded over 750 of them. This information provides valuable insights into migratory patterns, population trends and distribution, making them a favorite species among ornithologists and conservationists. Bartlett often works out of Kelleys Island, where he started banding in 1996 and has banded more than 30,000 birds. He is also a Research Associate in the Department of Ornithology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Project Owlnet Founded in 1994, Project Owlnet "facilitates communication, cooperation and innovation among a rapidly growing network of hundreds of owl-migration researchers in North America and abroad. By providing standardized methodologies, information on capture techniques, aging and sexing resources, analytical tools, data archiving and other services." The project primarily focuses on northern saw-whet owls, with three main goals: Support the continuing expansion of a network of migrant owl banding stations. Advocate for the use of standardized, comparable netting protocols. Improve communication and coordination among owl migration research stations in North America and beyond. In all its cuteness, the northern saw-whet owl is quite the subject of scientific study, providing valuable information about this tough little species. For birders, their elusiveness makes them quite the challenge. Black River Audubon Annual Meeting and Dinner Black River Audubon will hold its annual meeting Dec. 3 from 6-9 pm at Henry's Barn. The event will feature Tom Bartlett, who will be presenting, "Northern Saw-whet Owls Research in Ohio." The catered dinner will include a silent auction, chance raffles and the announcement of the Jack Smith Community Service Award. Open to all, the cost is $20, register online at www.blackriveraudubon.org. Black River Audubon's monthly field trip will be to Wellington Upground Reservoir, Saturday at 9 a.m., 47301 Jones Road, Wellington. Meet at the south edge of the reservoir at the top of the hill.