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Scientific name:
Aegolius acadicus |
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Family name:
Strigidae |
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Are they endangered? No,
these owls are not endangered worldwide. [IUCN Red list:
Least concern]
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What are their
past/present problems?
Humans cause these owls a problem by air pollution and
cutting down forests where they live. |
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What do they look
like?
They are really cute and small with bright yellow eyes.
Their faces are white and they have a dark gray beak.
Their bodies are mostly brown with white spots.
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How big are they?
These owls are about 7-8 inches long. If their wings
are spread out, they would be about 1 ˝ feet wide. |
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How many eggs do they
lay?
The female lays from 4-7 white eggs once a year. The
eggs hatch in about 4 weeks. |
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How long do the
fledglings stay in the nest?
Their nests are usually in holes and empty spaces of
trees or nests that other birds left. The young birds
[owlets] leave the nest in about a month. |
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When do they hunt?
They hunt at night (nocturnal). |
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What do they eat?
They like to eat MICE! Since they are so small, a large MOUSE
is two meals. They also like birds, bats, and bugs. |
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Where do they live?
They live in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central
America. |
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What kind of place do
they like to live in?
They like the edges of thick pine forests where they can hide
easily. |
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Interesting facts:
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They don’t migrate because they are already in a warm
climate |
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When there is lots of prey around, these owls will store
it for another time. If it gets frozen, they will sit
on it to thaw it out. |
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This owl’s call sounds like a saw being wetted, which is
another name for sharpened. This is why it is called
the Saw-whet Owl. |
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