The Northern Saw-Whet Owl is a very small species of owl, they are known for their big round head and wide orange eyes.
They have pale underbellies and their backs and wings are covered in brown feathers. These birds have a very large range and will almost always nest in dense forests, they seem to prefer staying in mature forests if they are able to.
They nest in denser forests during both the winter seasons and breeding seasons. The monogamy of this owl can depend on prey abundance.
Whilst most males are completely monogamous, in seasons of high prey abundance, some males have been known to mate with another individual.
These breeding pairs are not long lasting as they will mate with new individuals in each subsequent breeding season.
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 owls are most frequently spotted in Ohio outside of their breeding seasons and they can be seen across all of the state.
That being said, in certain regions to the north of the state, these birds appear to occasionally stay in the state throughout the whole year.
These birds have a similar level of abundance across all the state, but they appear to be less in number in the southern regions of Ohio.