Unspotted Saw-whet Owl

Unspotted Saw-whet Owl

Aegolius ridgwayi

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Volcán Barú National Park
20 Verified sightings at Volcán Barú National Park From 2019 to 2026
330 Verified sightings across all 7 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month highest sighting rate
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted during nighttime hours (6pm–6am)

About the Unspotted Saw-whet Owl

The unspotted saw-whet owl (Aegolius ridgwayi) is a small "typical owl" in subfamily Surniinae. It is native to mountainous areas of Central America. The unspotted saw-whet owl's taxonomy is unsettled. The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) treats it as monotypic. The Clements taxonomy and BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) assign it three subspecies, the nominate A. r. ridgwayi, A. r. tacanensis, and A. r. rostratus. HBW's assignment is provisional. A. r. tacanensis and A. r. rostratus were each described from a single specimen. The unspotted saw-whet owl and the northern saw-whet owl (A. acadicus) form a superspecies and some authors have proposed that they are a single species.

The unspotted saw-whet owl is 18 to 21.5 cm (7.1 to 8.5 in) long and weighs about 80 to 90 g (2.8 to 3.2 oz). Its upperparts, throat, and upper breast are plain sepia brown and the lower breast and belly plain cinnamon buff. The tail is a darker brown and the wings generally a grayer brown. Its facial disk is brown with a narrow white border; the lores, chin, and "eyebrows" are whitish. It has yellow eyes. The two putative... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
2 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
3 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
4 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
5 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
6 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
7 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Unspotted Saw-whet Owl in Volcán Barú National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Unspotted Saw-whet Owl sighting in Volcán Barú National Park, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Unspotted Saw-whet Owl in Volcán Barú National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Unspotted Saw-whet Owl in Volcán Barú National Park in our monthly data.

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