BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 20, 2022
Northern saw-whet owls have few rivals when it comes to cuteness. They are the tiniest owls in eastern North America. Until recently, little was known about them. We thought they were scarce. We’ve come to realize they are quite common. They’re just good at hiding. We already know that most bird species are declining, some precipitously. We need to know if owls are in the same sad boat. By conducting long-term banding studies in the same spots, we can track trends. Saw-whet owls will tell us things non-migratory owls won’t. We know with statistical certainty, by comparing the number of older birds to younger, how many saw-whet babies the northern forest produced this year. I say “we,” but in truth, it’s “they” — the biologists. I only had to stay up past my bedtime for one night. They are out there every night. Oh, to be young and underpaid again. ~ Bob Duchesne