These and burrowing owls are my favorite. Something about being so small and cute and so murderous is compelling. Also why I love kestrels.
Superbowl
For owls that are superb.
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If you find an injured owl:
Note your exact location so the owl can be released back where it came from. Contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation specialist to get correct advice and immediate assistance.
Minimize stress for the owl. If you can catch it, toss a towel or sweater over it and get it in a cardboard box or pet carrier. It should have room to be comfortable but not so much it can panic and injure itself. If you can’t catch it, keep people and animals away until help can come.
Do not give food or water! If you feed them the wrong thing or give them water improperly, you can accidentally kill them. It can also cause problems if they require anesthesia once help arrives, complicating procedures and costing valuable time.
If it is a baby owl, and it looks safe and uninjured, leave it be. Time on the ground is part of their growing up. They can fly to some extent and climb trees. If animals or people are nearby, put it up on a branch so it’s safe. If it’s injured, follow the above advice.
For more detailed help, see the OwlPages Rescue page.
Yes, it seems like something that small and cute (to us) shouldn't be so dangerous to many other living creatures!
I see a lot of kestrels in my visits to other facilities and demos and they are beautiful as well. I've been wanting to expand out to getting the rest of my raptor knowledge up there with where it is for owls. I've really had a great time working with the Redtails, Coopers, and Broadwings I've taken care of.
I often forget how small some of these dudes are.
And the Elf Owl is even smaller! 😮
Cutie
They are so superbly adorable 🥰
Those big pupils make it look like a cartoon come to life.
They've got the same eyes as every other owl, but they do always feel so much funnier on that tiny face! I have no clue what it is, but some days I'd swear their faces are even more expensive than the much loved Snowy!
They tend to have much more noticeable variations in facial features, which may help out in that regard.

❤️ If I lived in Iowa, I might take them up on this!
Are Saw Whet females bigger than males like some other owl species? Or are they about the same size?
I went to one banding event here, but I think it was late in the season and they didn't catch anything. It was more a family event though and they had ambassador animals there for us at least, and s'mores!
Yup, there is still the typical sexual dimorphism in size. Males are around 75g and females 100g. That matches the typical 20ish percent difference among most raptor species.