Verification of Unusual Sight Record
For Utah

Rec. # 2020-10


Common name:

Boreal Owl

Scientific name: Aegolius funereus
Date: 08/30/2019
Time: 8:30pm
Length of time observed: 1hr
Number: 2
Age: ?
Sex: ?
Location: Marshall Lake Unitas, Utah
County: Dushesne
Latilong: 40.674008 -110.876247
Elevation: 10,000
Distance to bird: 30 ft
Optical equipment: 60x
Weather: Clear
Light Conditions: Dusk
Description:        Size of bird: around 9 inches
(Description:)       Basic Shape: Small Owl
(Description:)  Overall Pattern: Brown with spots
(Description:)            Bill Type: Light/yellow
(Description:)                              
Field Marks and
Identifying Characteristics:
Brownish back with white spots. Angry eyebrows with light beak (distinguishing difference from. Other Saw-whit Owl). These birds were very curious and were shrieking when we walked up to our campsite from the lake. They continued to circle around us in the pine trees from the top branches to the lower branches for about an hour before they moved on.
(see photos)
Song or call & method of delivery: Shriek  (Video with sound)
Behavior: Curious flying from branch to branch, not staying in the same place for more than 5 minutes
Habitat:  
Similar species and how
were they eliminated:
Northern Saw-whit Owl. I had searched and at first thought it must be this owl. I listened to as many calls as I could find and none matched my recording, but it felt like a dead end beyond that. I posted my pics on iNaturalist and after a few months, one of the observers suggested it was a Boreal Owl because the beak was yellowish instead of black. All my pics revealed a yellowish beak and then I heard a recording of the Boreal Shriek, and that sound was an absolute fit too!
Previous experience with
this & similar species:
I have only heard Northern Saw-whit owls in the Tibblefork/American Fork area of Utah
References consulted: Bryanto on iNaturalist, Sibleys, Audubon, iBird, ebird
Description from: Notes made later
From photo(s) taken at the time of the sighting
Observer: Robert, Christina, and Kiley Reed
Observer's address: Ogden, UT
Observer's e-mail address: **
Other observers who independently identified this bird: Bryanto on iNaturalist
Date prepared: 03/27/2020
Additional material: Photos Video with sound
Additional comments: