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
The lowland hardwood forests provide wild habitat for black bears, saw-whet owls, and elk.
—
Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Outside Online, 6 June 2025
Somewhere back in the trees, a tiny saw-whet owl was calling.
—Brad Dokken, Twin Cities, 10 May 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
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
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Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Outside Online, 6 June 2025
Somewhere back in the trees, a tiny saw-whet owl was calling.
—Brad Dokken, Twin Cities, 10 May 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
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
Cite this Entry
“Saw-whet owl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saw-whet%20owl. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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