Birding Alaska

Northern Saw-whet Owl Aegolius acadicus, two of three present at Seaside Farms, Homer, 12 December 2009.

The migratory habits of Northern Saw-whet Owls are far from understood.  A banding study in Homer this fall captured and banded 179 Saw-whets from one site!  It’s clear that many Saw-whets do move further south for the winter months, but it’s also clear that some do remain in southcentral Alaska throughout the winter.  However, during the mid-winter months these birds are most often silent and detecting their presence is not easy, usually requiring luck.  These owls were two of three at Mossy Kilcher’s Seaside Farm in Homer today.  Both birds were roosting quietly in dense spruce but were given away by the scolding calls of mobbing chickadees, nuthatches and others.