saw-whet owl

[ saw-hwet, -wet ]

noun

1. a very small North American owl, Aegolius acadicus, having streaked, brown plumage and lacking ear tufts.

Word History and Origins

Origin of saw-whet owl¹

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; allegedly so called because its cry was likened to the noise of a saw being whetted

Example Sentences

Everett, who had just been discharged from the hospital and was learning to self-administer antibiotics intravenously in both arms, said he looked on with “shock and awe” as a peregrine falcon, red-tailed hawk, great horned owl, barn owl and saw-whet owl that he used as “educational animals” in school presentations and to attract donors were taken away.

From Los Angeles Times

We picked up a saw-whet owl on Wednesday.

From Literature

Seen here are everyday delights such as chickadees, kinglets and nuthatches, to Cooper’s hawks and even in some years the tiny northern Saw-whet owl, in addition to common barred owls.

From Seattle Times

In a social media post on Tuesday, the Fairfax County Police Department said its animal protection officers rescued a northern saw-whet owl on Nov. 17 in the Oakton area.

From Washington Post

The young, Saw-whet owl was found stuck in the branches of a towering Norway spruce grown in upstate New York and cut as Rockefeller Center’s holiday tree last year.

From Seattle Times