Habitat
Their habitat is coniferous forests, sometimes mixed or deciduous woods, across North America. Most birds nest in coniferous type forests of the North but winter in mixed or deciduous woods. They also love riparian areas because of the abundance of prey there. They live in tree cavities and old nests made by other small raptors. Some are permanent residents, while others may migrate south in winter or move down from higher elevations. Their range covers most of North America including southeastern Alaska, southern Canada, most of the United States and the central mountains in Mexico. The map shows where they breed and the areas where they can live throughout the year.
Some have begun to move more southeast in Indiana and neighboring states. Buidin et al. did a study of how far north the Northern Saw-whet owls breed and they found that they can breed northward to >50 N, farther than ever recorded before. Their range is quite extensive and they can even breed in the far north where most birds migrate from to breed. They are an adaptive species that can do well in the cold.
Read more about this topic: Northern Saw-whet Owl
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