From Braddock Bay Bird Observatory
It’s Northern Saw-whet Owl season at the banding station! We aren’t banding any this February due to the deep snow (we can’t even get down the driveway) and the cold temperatures, but they have been sighted in the woods surrounding us.
These photos of nine different owls from the fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021 show how much variation there is in the coloration and expression of these tiny hunters.
These compilations come out every so often From different banding projects and are always some of my favorites. I love seeing the variety of features they have.

These two next to eachother:

Lol there’s some real characters in this lineup 😂
The more time goes by shows Saw Whet was a darn fine Owl of the Year for us last year.


But maybe my favorite is row 4, column 3. 🥰
This is my guy here, so shady and scheming.


I’m feeling 3:1 today, like a sleepy grumpy gramps.
All are excellent! It’s hard to pick a favorite. ❤️
There’s no wrong answer with a Saw Whet!
I personally lean to when they make their heads bumpy like the 3 around the bottom right.
I woke up a 7 but after my morning red bull i’m at a 4.
I’m still stuck at bottom middle. 😐
“You got nothin! Narc!!”
*click*
lol all of them were released after receiving ankle monitors.
Blood on the bottom right going to murder a fool.
“I said no pictures!” 😡
All these variations! They look perfect for cartoon characters based on them.
I would check that show out for sure. 😄
And the young ones are much more solidly colored so they also look different!




