Unspotted Saw-whet Owl

Aegolius ridgwayi

Least ConcernRareVertebratesForestCavity nestMedium · 80 g

About the Unspotted Saw-whet Owl

The unspotted saw-whet owl is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae. It is native to mountainous areas of Central America.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

The unspotted saw-whet owl is 18 to 21.5 cm (7.1 to 8.5 in) long and weighs about 80 to 90 g (2.8 to 3.2 oz). Its upperparts, throat, and upper breast are plain sepia brown and the lower breast and belly plain cinnamon buff. The tail is a darker brown and the wings generally a grayer brown. Its facial disk is brown with a narrow white border; the lores, chin, and "eyebrows" are whitish. It has yellow eyes. The two putative subspecies other than the nominate differ only slightly from it. Voice: The male unspotted saw-whet owl's territorial call is "a whistled hoo hoo hoo…" given about 10 times over three to five seconds. Females give "a hight, slightly hissing ssirr". Both sexes give "a surprisingly loud shriek and a shrill short chipper". The call of tree frogs of genus Anotheca is extremely similar to the owl's song and easily confused with it.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where it lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in Honduras.

When to see it

Peak activity in December · a resident species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Learn the Unspotted Saw-whet Owl for real

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