Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The Acadian owl, Nyctala acadica: so called from its rasping notes, which resemble the sounds made in filing or sharpening a saw.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Zoöl.) A small North American owl (
Nyctale Acadica ), destitute of ear tufts and having feathered toes; -- called alsoAcadian owl .
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word saw-whet.
Examples
-
The saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus), a species of special concern in North Carolina, often roosts during the day in red spruce trees of 66i and nests in cavity trees such as yellow birch or in nest boxes set out for flying squirrels.
-
Christmas time's a Coming, as Bill Monroe sang many years ago, and while that turns many folks 'thoughts to gift wrap, carols, chestnuts on the fire and three wise men visiting the manger, it also means hot coffee, frigid mornings, frozen fingers and listening for the call of the saw-whet owl for others.
Archive 2006-12-01 2006
-
Combine that with the saw-whet owl I saw at twilight last week near the cathedral something perhaps to do with the massive amounts of squirrels in my area, perhaps and I am thumbs up for animals.
Archive 2006-10-01 Elizabeth McClung 2006
-
Combine that with the saw-whet owl I saw at twilight last week near the cathedral something perhaps to do with the massive amounts of squirrels in my area, perhaps and I am thumbs up for animals.
Impressed by nature's wonder; wonder what's wrong with humans. Elizabeth McClung 2006
-
And one other source offers the following tidbits of information on the saw-whet:
The Annotated Unbroken Chain Robert M. Petersen 2005
-
Cannings goes on to talk about the circumstances surrounding the song of the saw-whet owl:
The Annotated Unbroken Chain Robert M. Petersen 2005
-
There is little consensus in the literature as to which is the "saw-whet" call after which the species is named.
The Annotated Unbroken Chain Robert M. Petersen 2005
-
And from a monograph on the saw-whet, on the topic of its song:
The Annotated Unbroken Chain Robert M. Petersen 2005
-
Black-backed woodpeckers feed on the darkened trunks of dead trees, while northern saw-whet owls raise young in the cavities.
The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Eastern United States Janine M. Benyus 1989
-
Black-backed woodpeckers feed on the darkened trunks of dead trees, while northern saw-whet owls raise young in the cavities.
The Field Guide to Wildlife Habitats of the Eastern United States Janine M. Benyus 1989
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.