Small owls of Thurston County

Liam Hutcheson portrait

Editor's Note – Our regular columnist, George Walter, invited Liam Hutcheson, our youthful photographer, to write today's column.

The Western Screech-Owl is now Thurston County's rarest small owl. It was once extremely common in the County, thriving in suburban areas and riparian corridors, but now they are virtually impossible to find. This is due to the rapid increase in the numbers of Barred Owls here and throughout the West.

Barred owls have been shown to pray on Screeches and drive them from their territories, which is almost certainly what occurred here. It's not just Thurston County either; Western Washington is almost entirely devoid of Screech-owls.

They still hang on in a few areas; there are still occasional sightings in the Olympia area and down in the southern parts of our county around the Chehalis Valley and Scatter Creek, but they are growing rarer each year. In our area, Western Screech-Owls utilize all habitats but seem to prefer riparian areas, often found in small sloughs and river valleys, and urban greenspaces, usually near water.

The Screech-owls in western Washington are usually quite different looking than those in the southern and eastern parts of their range, often very brownish in color as opposed to the usual cold gray. They can be located by their distinctive song, often compared to a ball bouncing. It is a series of short hoots getting faster and closer together as the song goes on. Screeches nest in cavities and have often been found nesting in large boxes designed for owls their size. One of the best ways to help them out is putting up an owl box, and who knows, just maybe you'll get lucky! 

Saw-whet Owl (northern)

The Northern Saw-whet Owl is a relatively common small owl of Thurston County. These tiny birds have an interesting life story, although difficult to understand given their nocturnal habits. Many Saw-whets are migratory, yet others are year-round residents. Some of these bids are what we call “elevational migrants,” breeding at higher elevations and then migrating down to the lowlands for the winter. Others appear to just book it south, with multiple known migration routes across the continent.

Because of these migratory habits, Saw-whets are an easy owl to band, with many banding stations throughout the US and Canada, including in Washington. Migrating owls are lured in at night with recorded calls and then captured in mist nets, where weights and measurements are often taken, and a small metal band is placed on the leg with a number code unique to the individual. In our county, Saw-whets are a common winter resident in all areas, including suburban habitats.

Their breeding status is a bit unclear, but with multiple summer records in the Capitol Forest and a lot of breeding activity in both the Olympics and Cascades, it seems likely that at least a few may nest in the county. They can be detected by their distinctive tooting song, a long series of high-pitched evenly spaced hoots. Less commonly, you may hear a long-drawn-out wailing call, or a sort of barking “skiew” call. They often roost in small conifers and brambles, and in winter tend to return to previous roost sites, making them one of the easier owls to find. They also nest in cavities and may be attracted to nest boxes.

Pygmy Owl in winter, all puffed up

The last small owl in the county is the Northern Pygmy-Owl. Pygmies are one of our most common owls in the right areas but, unlike the other two, they almost never stray into urban or suburban areas. They require large coniferous forests for habitat, although they are often seen at the edge of such habitat.

Pygmy Owl

In Thurston County, the Capitol Forest is the best area for Pygmy-Owls. Here they can be quite common. The other two owls' preferred prey are mice; in contrast, Pygmy-owls commonly prey on songbirds. Pygmies are famous for their toughness. Standing just 15 centimeters tall (sparrow-sized) and weighing in at only around two ounces, these feisty little owls have been seen taking prey over three times their size!

They can also be quite easy to find, very territorial. Unlike our other small owls (both strictly nocturnal), Pygmies can often be found out and about in daylight, especially around dusk and dawn, hunting from the tops of snags and conifers. Like the other two owls, Pygmies nest most often in cavities. They can be detected by their distinctive song, similar to that of the Saw-whet but a bit lower pitched, with more space between each note and less of a frantic tone. Although small, they are a bird of prey and, as such, may be mobbed by smaller birds – a bold action considering these small birds are a Pygmy-owl main food item.

Winter is a particularly good season if you are considering seeking out one of these small Thurston County owl species. The leaves are off the trees, making sighting one easier, and all three species vocalize and respond to recorded calls throughout winter.

George Walter usually writes the THURSTON’S BIRDS column. He is the environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s natural resources department; he also has a 45+ year interest in bird watching. He may be reached at george@theJOLTnews.com

This text and most photos for this column are provided by Liam Hutcheson, a 17-year-old Olympia area birder and avid photographer.