saw-whet owl

noun

ˈsȯ-ˌ(h)wet-

: 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web An orphaned northern saw-whet owl returned to the wilds of Anchorage on Sunday after two months in the care of Bird Treatment and Learning Center. —

Marc Lester, Anchorage Daily News, 24 May 2022 In a social media post on Tuesday, the Fairfax County Police Department said its animal protection officers rescued a northern saw-whet owl on Nov. 17 in the Oakton area. —

Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2021 The bald eagle stood in stark contrast to the tiny saw-whet owl the organization also displayed. —

Chris M. Worrell, cleveland, 16 Dec. 2021 The adult northern saw-whet owl, from the smallest owl species in the Northeast, was found trapped in the 75-foot tree; its rescue amassed a following on social media (see: #RockefellerOwl). —

Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2020 The red cedar provides respite for a rare wintering bird called the northern saw-whet owl. —

Sheryl Devore, chicagotribune.com, 24 Dec. 2020 Wild things Consider the recent quandary of a northern saw-whet owl, one of the smallest owls in the U.S., trying to find its way home. —

Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2020 Long live Rocky, the tiny saw-whet owl that made big news last month when she was found in the giant Christmas tree at Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center. —

René A. Guzman, ExpressNews.com, 1 Dec. 2020 The Northern saw-whet owl, one of the smallest in North America, was found by workers in New York City inside the 75-foot Norway Spruce that traveled some 170 miles across the state from Oneonta. —

Sophie Lewis, CBS News, 25 Nov. 2020 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'saw-whet owl.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.