Birds are released after capture.

Northern Saw-whet owls are banded with a U.S. Geological Survey issued aluminum band.

Fall 2026 Owl Season Captures

Thursday October 15th

Lackawanna State Park -

Foley Site - 1 Barred Owl (BADO) , two Northern Saw-whets (NSWO)

Cumulative totals - BADO - 1, NSWO - 2

Friday, October 16th - cancelled due to weather

Saturday, October 17th - cancelled due to weather

Monday, October 19th

Lackawanna State Park - 5 Northern Saw-whets

Foley Site - 2 Northern Saw-whets

Cumulative totals - BADO - 1, NSWO - 9

Thursday, October 22nd

Lackawanna State Park - no owls

Foley Site - 2 Northern Saw-whets

Cumulative totals - BADO - 1, NSWO - 11

Friday, October 23rd

Lackawanna State Park - 11 Northern Saw-whets

Foley Site - 1 Northern Saw-whet

Cumulative totals - BADO - 1, NSWO - 23

Saturday, October 24th

Lackawanna State Park - 10 Northern Saw-whets

Foley Site - not operated

Cumulative totals - BADO - 1, NSWO - 33

Monday, October 26th

Lackawanna State Park - not operated

Foley Site - 3 NSWO

Cumulative totals - BADO - 1, NSWO - 36

Determining age in a Northern Saw-whet Owl

Under UV (black) light, the porphyrin pigments in a saw-whet's flight feathers glow pink, and that glow fades as feathers age. A hatch-year bird shows uniform, bright fluorescence across all its flight feathers. A second-year bird shows two distinct generations, with bright new feathers next to duller retained juvenile ones. An after-second-year bird shows three or more mixed generations.