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 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
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
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
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saw-whet owl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Saw-whet owl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saw-whet%20owl. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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