Boreal Owl

The Boreal Owl is a small, elusive owl of northern conifer forests across North America and Eurasia (where it is also called Tengmalm's Owl), spending most of its life hidden within dense forest and rarely seen despite occupying a huge circumpolar range.

It has a rounded head with no ear tufts, a whitish facial disc distinctly bordered in black, and dark brown body plumage boldly marked with white spotting.

Its feathers show strong contrast between the spotted brown body and pale disc, useful for separating it from the closely related, but more streaked, Northern Saw-whet Owl.

Recognizing the feathers

• Body feathers are dark brown with bold, well-defined white spots rather than fine streaking, giving a more strongly contrasted pattern than the Saw-whet Owl.
• Facial disc feathers are whitish with a conspicuous black border, more strongly marked than the disc of the Saw-whet Owl.
• Flight feathers are small and soft-fringed, scaled to this owl's compact size.
• No ear-tuft feathers are present.

Similar species

• Bolder white spotting (versus streaking) and a more strongly black-bordered facial disc separate this species from the Northern Saw-whet Owl, its closest relative in North America.

Plumage

Adults are dark brown above with bold white spots, and pale below with brown spotting, plus a whitish facial disc rimmed in black. Sexes look alike, females somewhat larger.

Juveniles show a darker, more uniformly chocolate-brown plumage with a paler facial patch, before molting into the spotted adult pattern.

Molt occurs mainly in late summer.

Habitat & range

Found across the boreal forest belt of North America, Scandinavia, and Siberia, as well as subalpine conifer forest farther south in mountainous regions, generally in dense, old conifer stands with cavities for nesting.

Mostly non-migratory or only locally nomadic, though some individuals move south in years of poor food supply.

Behavior & field notes

A nocturnal hunter of small mammals, particularly voles, caught from perches within dense forest.

Its call is a rapid, rising series of whistled notes, used mainly during the breeding season and helpful for detecting this otherwise elusive species.

A dark brown, boldly white-spotted feather with a whitish, black-bordered facial disc feather, found in dense boreal or subalpine conifer forest, is consistent with this species.