saw-whet owl
noun
: a very small harsh-voiced North American owl (Aegolius acadicus) that is largely dark brown above and chestnut streaked with white beneath
called also saw-whet
Examples of saw-whet owl in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Newhouse Wildlife Rescue put a banana next to the saw-whet owl to help people comprehend its tiny size.
—
Breana Pitts, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Researchers at the university study native, nocturnal animals like the northern saw-whet owl.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Twin Cities, 21 Aug. 2025
The lowland hardwood forests provide wild habitat for black bears, saw-whet owls, and elk.
—Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Outside Online, 6 June 2025
That some species like northern saw-whet owls are altering their own migration phenology may seem reassuring, but a growing body of research strongly suggests that birds are actually falling further and further behind, in ways that may imperil their long-term survival.
—Scott Weidensaul, AZCentral.com, 13 Jan. 2025
Motus’ project No. 753 pertains to northern saw-whet owls.
—Kayla Randall, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025
The Northern saw-whet owl doesn’t even weigh half a pound and preys on mice.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 31 July 2023
The Western saw-whet owl likes a twelve-year-old thicket of fir and ponderosa pine; deer find soft green bites in a four-year-old stand of red cedar and white pine.
—The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
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Breana Pitts, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Researchers at the university study native, nocturnal animals like the northern saw-whet owl.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Twin Cities, 21 Aug. 2025
The lowland hardwood forests provide wild habitat for black bears, saw-whet owls, and elk.
—Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Outside Online, 6 June 2025
That some species like northern saw-whet owls are altering their own migration phenology may seem reassuring, but a growing body of research strongly suggests that birds are actually falling further and further behind, in ways that may imperil their long-term survival.
—Scott Weidensaul, AZCentral.com, 13 Jan. 2025
Motus’ project No. 753 pertains to northern saw-whet owls.
—Kayla Randall, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025
The Northern saw-whet owl doesn’t even weigh half a pound and preys on mice.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 31 July 2023
The Western saw-whet owl likes a twelve-year-old thicket of fir and ponderosa pine; deer find soft green bites in a four-year-old stand of red cedar and white pine.
—The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Saw-whet owl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saw-whet%20owl. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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