Diet
What do saw-whet owls eat?
Deer mice and other small rodents, hunted at night.
Owls (Strigidae)Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicus
Spring and summer diet
- Deer mice, voles and shrews
Fall and winter diet
- Mice and voles; caches prey in cold weather
Best feeder foods
- None — a saw-whet box in dense conifers is the draw
Astonishingly tame when roosting in dense conifers by day; uses nest boxes readily.
Where saw-whet owls need winter food
Regions where saw-whet owls are present in the cold months:
AlabamaAlaskaAlbertaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNewfoundland and LabradorNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaNunavutOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandQuebecRhode IslandSaskatchewanSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingYukon
Frequently asked
What do saw-whet owls eat?
Deer mice and other small rodents, hunted at night.
What is the best food to feed saw-whet owls?
None — a saw-whet box in dense conifers is the draw.
What do saw-whet owls eat in winter?
Mice and voles; caches prey in cold weather.
Sources
- Northern Saw-whet Owl — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Northern Saw-whet Owl life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Northern Saw-whet Owl — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- NestWatch nest box plans and species requirements — Cornell Lab
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.