Unspotted Saw-whet Owl

Aegolius ridgwayi (Alfaro, 1905)

18–22 cmLength80 gWeight

The unspotted saw-whet owl (Aegolius ridgwayi) is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae.

Busiest months: November · Most records: Guatemala, Costa Rica

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: November · Most records: Guatemala, Costa Rica

Unspotted Saw-whet Owl has been recorded at 7 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Godinez – Aldea Los RoblesGuatemala26 records
Parque Regional Municipal Zunil – Fuentes GeorginasGuatemala19 records
Paraiso Quetzal Lodge - Km 70Costa Rica18 records

More places

Savegre Valley – Miriam's RestaurantCosta Rica14 records
San Gerardo de DotaCosta Rica9 records
Finca Caleras ChichavacGuatemala7 records
Savegre HotelCosta Rica3 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Guatemala Costa Rica

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The unspotted saw-whet owl (Aegolius ridgwayi) is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae. It is native to mountainous areas of Central America.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Unspotted Saw-whet Owl?

The Unspotted Saw-whet Owl is about 18–22 cm long and weighs around 80 g.

Where does the Unspotted Saw-whet Owl live?

Its breeding range: Middle America: southern Mexico to western Panama. It is most often recorded in Guatemala and Costa Rica.

When is the best time to see the Unspotted Saw-whet Owl?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Unspotted Saw-whet Owl endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Unspotted Saw-whet Owl as Least Concern.

What does the Unspotted Saw-whet Owl eat?

Main food: Vertebrate prey.

What family is the Unspotted Saw-whet Owl in?

It belongs to the family Owls (Strigidae), order Strigiformes.

At a glance

Length: 18–22 cm
Weight: 80 g
Habitat: Forest
Diet: Vertebrate prey
Lifestyle: Perches in trees
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 138 mm
Tail: 67 mm
Bill: 18 mm
Tarsus: 23 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Middle America: southern Mexico to western Panama

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order: Strigiformes
Family: Owls Strigidae
Genus: Aegolius

Other birds in the genus Aegolius

Boreal OwlAegolius funereus

Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicus

Buff-fronted OwlAegolius harrisii

Papuan Hawk-OwlUroglaux dimorpha

Rufous OwlNinox rufa

Powerful OwlNinox strenua

Barking OwlNinox connivens

Sumba BoobookNinox rudolfi

Australian BoobookNinox boobook

Rote BoobookNinox rotiensis

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Roberto Vargas. ↗

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