Animal of the week: Northern saw-whet owl
Even though this tiny owl with a cat-like face, oversized head and bright yellow eyes weighs about as much as a robin, the Northern saw-whet owl is practically bursting with attitude.
Their diet is small mammals and mice, and they usually eat adult mice in pieces, over the course of two meals.
One of the most common owls in forests across northern North America, saw-whets may have been named for giving a call that sounds like a saw being sharpened on a whetting stone, but there is no consensus as to which of its several calls gave rise to the name.
This one was admitted on July 16 after being hit by a car in Vilas County. Its vision has been impaired, although it is not known at this time if it will be permanent.
Owls hunt at night mostly by sound, so adult owls with vision impairments can still be released back into the wild and do quite well.
Wild Instincts may be reached for injured and orphaned wildlife emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 715-362-WILD (9453).
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