I recently published a comprehensive overview of the diminutive saw-whet owl. That overview relied on both new and old resources. One of the main old resources I used was an article about the little bird of prey in the February 1898 issue of Birds: Illustrated By Color Photography, a nineteenth century children’s magazine about birds. The saw-whet owl article began with a very short poem about the very small bird. I will re-print the poem as it originally appeared in Birds along with the original depiction of the saw-whet owl. Those who are looking for more saw-whet owl content may also be interested in my November 2020 article about an unfortunate saw-whet owl that found itself transported to Manhattan along with the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

Saw-whet Owl Poem and Depiction

Back to index

Below, you will find the poem and photo as they originally appeared in the February 1898 issue of Birds.

“The Saw-whet Owl” (1898)

The Lark is but a bumpkin fowl;
   He sleeps in his nest till morn;
But my blessing upon the jolly Owl
   That all night he blows his horn.
Illustration of the saw-whet owl from the February 1898 issue of Birds: Illustrated By Color Photography.
The original illustration of the saw-whet owl from the magazine article.