Unspotted saw-whet owl
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Aegolius ridgwayi

The unspotted saw-whet owl (Aegolius ridgwayi ) is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae. It is found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Panama.

Appearance

The unspotted saw-whet owl is 18 to 21.5 cm (7.1 to 8.5 in) long and weighs about 80 to 90 g (2.8 to 3.2 oz). Its upperparts, throat, and upper breast are plain sepia brown and the lower breast and belly plain cinnamon buff. The tail is a darker brown and the wings generally a grayer brown. Its facial disk is brown with a narrow white border; the lores, chin, and "eyebrows" are whitish. It has yellow eyes. The two putative subspecies other than the nominate differ only slightly from it.

Distribution

Geography

The nominate subspecies of unspotted saw-whet owl is found from central Costa Rica into western Panama. A. r. tacanensis is found in Mexico's Chiapas state. A. r. rostratus is found in Guatemala and northwestern El Salvador. The species inhabits humid temperate montane forest. Vegetation communities include humid oak forest, cloudforest, and pine-oak forest. It generally stays in the forest canopy but can be found in more open areas with scattered trees but close to forest edges. In elevation it ranges between 1,700 and 3,000 m (5,600 and 9,800 ft) in the northern part of its range, between 2,200 and 2,900 m (7,200 and 9,500 ft) in Costa Rica, and between 2,100 and 3,500 m (6,900 and 11,500 ft) in Panama.

Unspotted saw-whet owl habitat map

Biome

Unspotted saw-whet owl habitat map
Unspotted saw-whet owl
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Habits and Lifestyle

The unspotted saw-whet owl is resident throughout its range.

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eeding season, and is thought to be territorial. Its flight is described as "fluttery, agile, with quick wingbeats."

Movement

The unspotted saw-whet owl is resident throughout its range.

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Lifestyle
Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

The unspotted saw-whet owl's diet has not been detailed. Small mammals such as shrews and rodents are thought to be its primary prey. It is also thought to take birds and bats.

Mating Habits

The unspotted saw-whet owl's breeding phenology is not well known. Its breeding season appears to span between at least March and July. It nests in cavities, either natural or made by woodpeckers, and is thought to lay five or six eggs.

Population

Population number

The IUCN originally assessed the unspotted saw-whet owl as Near Threatened but since 2004 has rated it as being of Least Concern. Its population size is not known but is believed to be stable. Only in the highest elevations of its range is its forest habitat relatively undisturbed; at lower elevations deforestation for timber, agriculture, and pasturing is widespread. Mexican conservation authorities list it as in peril of extinction in that country.

References

1. Unspotted saw-whet owl Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unspotted_saw-whet_owl
2. Unspotted saw-whet owl on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22689371/93228935
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/518520

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