The Northern Saw-Whet Owl is very small in size for an owl and it has a big round head and wide orange eyes.
Their wings and their backs have similar colour patterns and they are covered with brown feathers.
Contrasting this their bellies are bright white. These birds seem to prefer staying in mature forests if they are able to and will only nest in dense woodland areas.
The forest needs to be denser when it comes to the winter and breeding seasons. Whilst most males are completely monogamous, in seasons of high prey abundance, some males have been known to mate with another individual.
This appears to be the only thing that affects the monogamy of this owl. However, breeding pairs will be formed in each subsequent breeding season as they do not form long term mates.
Because of their small size, these owls are also often preyed on by a variety of larger owl species, including several that we have previously looked at in this article.
These small owls can be seen in all areas throughout California. In the northern and eastern areas of the state these owls are permanent residents whereas in the further south regions they only appear to be present in outside of their breeding seasons.