Aegolius acadicus
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The northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus) is a species of small owl in the family Strigidae. The species is native to North America. Saw-whet owls of the genus Aegolius are some of the smallest owl species in North America. They can be found in dense thickets, often at eye level, although they can also be found some 20 ft (6.1 m) up. Saw-whets are often in danger of being preyed upon by larger birds of prey. The northern saw-whet owl is a migratory bird without any strict pattern.
Renowned French-American ornithologist John James Audubon noted, during his early-1800s exploration of eastern North America, that Aegolius acadicus was already known in Massachusetts by the moniker saw-whet—likening this little owl's vocalizations to the rhythmic rasp of sharpening a saw on a whetting stone, a sound which was widely familiar and easily recognizable among most Americans of that era.
The genus name is Latin for a screech owl, the word came from the Ancient Greek aigōlios meaning "a bird of ill omen". The specific epithet acadicus is from "Acadia", the name of a former French colony in Nova Scotia. The northern saw-whet owl was formally described in 1788 by... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 11 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greensboro Science Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | World Bird Sanctuary | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Woodland Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Birds of prey | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Nature and Raptor Center of Pueblo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Iowa Raptor Project | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Alaska Raptor Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Cascades Raptor Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Chouette à voir! | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 11 | Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Saw-whet Owl sighting in Yosemite National Park on a given day, based on 39 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 139th most-seen of the 169 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Saw-whet Owl in Yosemite National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 pm and midnight
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Saw-whet Owl sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Northern Saw-whet Owl sightings, Yosemite National Park ranks 5th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Kluane National Park (Canada, under 5%), Channel Islands National Park (United States, under 5%) and Elk Island National Park (Canada, under 5%).
Same family: Strigidae
The closest relatives of the Northern Saw-whet Owl that you can see in Yosemite National Park (family Strigidae, Typical Owls) are Great Gray Owl (about 10%) and Spotted Owl (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Saw-whet Owl is recorded against all the birds logged in Yosemite National Park (39 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
