Strange Sawing Sounds Heard At Night In Michigan Woods Could Be This Little Guy

There is something about the dead of night and hearing an unknown sound that can send chills down your spine. You know it's most likely nothing, but what if it's not?

Get our free mobile app

Some Michiganders may have heard an unknown sound at night in nearby woods.

It's mostly likely not Bigfoot, but instead something much smaller that you do not need to fear or worry about, The Northern Saw-Whet Owl.

Strange Sawing Sounds Heard At Night In Michigan Woods

The sound these people might have heard is the Northern Saw-whet Owl.

The Northern Saw-Whet Owl is named after the distinctive sound it makes, resembling the sharpening of a saw, the Northern Saw-Whet Owl is known for its melodic and repetitive tooting calls during the breeding season.

These owls are primarily nocturnal hunters, preying on small mammals such as mice and voles, as well as insects.

With excellent hearing and vision adapted for low light conditions, they are efficient hunters in the dense forests they inhabit.

What Does The Northern Saw-Whet Owl Look Like?

The Northern Saw-whet Owl is a small owl, with a length of 7-8 inches and a wingspan of 17-19 inches. It has a round head with large, yellow eyes and a short, hooked beak. The Northern Saw-whet Owl is brown or gray in color, with white spots on its wings and back

During winter months, the Northern Saw-Whet Owl will sometimes migrate from the woods to mixed forests, parks, and even yards in the southern Lower Peninsula.

According to Mlive, warmer temperatures and less snow make it easier for them to hunt the small rodents that make up most of their diet.

This means you're more likely to hear them at night than at any other time of the year.

So if you do hear a strange sawing-like sound at night there's a good chance it's a Northern Saw-Whet Owl.