After banding just 45 juvenile Northern Saw-whet Owls (NSWO) in July, results so far in August have come as a welcomed surprise. We banded another 26 juveniles this week, bringing August’s total to 112 and the season total to 157 juvenile NSWO banded. Although this is at the low end compared to other years, it is much better than the lowest season totals when NSWO reproductive success has crashed. Aside from the juveniles, we banded one adult NSWO and two Long-eared Owls this past week.

Adult NSWO are always few and far between at this time of year. Their numbers always seem to drop off significantly soon after we start to see them begin to molt their flight feathers. Whether or not there is any actual correlation between them molting and this drop-off is something we can only speculate on. They may stop moving to conserve energy for growing new feathers, but it could also be a coincidence. This week’s adult was not only actively molting in flight feathers but was also in very heavy body feather molt, including a nice bald spot. Although I often wish the owls could understand what I say to them, it’s probably good this one couldn’t. I can only imagine her response to me, laughing and saying, “Oh geez, look at you. You’re a total mess,” would have been, “I’m molting you creep!”

An adult Northern Saw-whet Owl in heavy molt. Photo by Chris Neri

Season Totals of Banded Owls
Northern Saw-whet Owls: 226 (157 juveniles & 69 adults)
Long-eared Owls: 24
Barred Owls: 1
Total owls banded: 251

Season Totals of Recaptured Owls
Northern Saw-whet Owls: 2

~ Chris Neri & Sarah Montalvo
2023 Summer Owl Banders

You can read the owl banders’ weekly blog posts and follow WPBO’s social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) for owl banding highlights this season.

Owl Banding Presentations — Visitors may observe owls that have been banded on Friday and Saturday evenings from dusk until midnight. Please note that banding is weather dependent and it is at the banders’ discretion to cancel banding accordingly. Observation will be limited to outdoors only. For the safety of the owls, flash photography and recording video is prohibited.