A Continent-wide Effort to Track Northern Saw-whet Owls
Since 2013, the National Aviary has operated the largest owl migration banding project in Western Pennsylvania, documenting a total of 340 Northern Saw-whet Owls on their fall and spring migrations through the Pittsburgh area.
National Aviary Ornithologist Bob Mulvihill operates a banding station at Sewickley Heights Borough Park, in partnership with the Borough of Sewickley Heights and its Manager and Director of Parks and Public Works, Nathan Briggs. Volunteer community scientists assist Mulvihill in banding and tracking the movements of these small nocturnal birds.
Researchers with Project Owlnet across North America study the species’ movements to understand the timing, pace, and intensity of their migration. Licensed banders delicately catch the birds, which are drawn to a net by a call, band them, collect data, and release them. Bands with unique identifying numbers are placed on the owl’s legs so that researchers in other areas of the continent can track their movements if and when the owl is recaught. This research has revealed vital data on migration patterns, including the documentation of one migrating owl at the Sewickley Heights location that had been banded previously, some 1,500 miles away in Alberta, Canada!
Studying Long-eared Owls and Barn Owls
In 2024, we began a collaboration with two other owl banders in Allegheny and Washington Counties: Nick Liadis, founder of Bird Lab, and Gigi Gerben, under the auspices of Powdermill Avian Research Center. By coordinating banding efforts, we aim to enhance our understanding of Saw-whet Owl movements across the Pittsburgh area. Additionally, we launched a pilot program to study the migration of two conservation-sensitive species, the Long-eared Owl and Barn Owl. The National Aviary received a Wild Resources Conservation Program grant to launch this study in the fall of 2024 and spring of 2025.
Since the start of Project Owlnet in Pittsburgh, Mulvihill and his team of community scientists have learned a great deal about these secretive birds. Learn more about Project Owlnet’s findings.
You Can Join Bob Mulvhill for a Project Owlnet Outing!
Anytime from dusk until midnight*, you can join Bob and his regular volunteers as they routinely check their mist nets for Northern Saw-whet Owls, Long-eared Owls, and Barn Owls. In addition to assisting in the setup and take-down of the banding nets, you may also be able to act as Bob’s data scribe, filling out data forms as he bands and measures each owl. Additional field tasks may also present themselves! At the end of any successful banding session, you can watch as each banded owl silently flies away to continue on its migration. Of course, given the nature of this work, sightings of owls can never be guaranteed.
*Of course, you may stay as long as you want and come and go from the site as you please.
The 2026 Project Owlnet spring banding season has concluded.
Please stay tuned for fall banding dates!
This field research opportunity is offered for all ages, but please note the following:
- Banding may be canceled at the last minute due to high winds and heavy rain.
- Visitors should bring a reliable light (either a flashlight or headlamp) and wear appropriate dress and footwear for the outdoors.
- Binoculars aren’t needed unless you plan to arrive early to do some birding in the park; Sewickley Heights Borough Park is considered to be one of the best for watching birds during migration.
- You may want to bring your own drinks and snacks, and a folding chair.
- There are no facilities at the park, but there is a Sheetz at the Mount Nebo exit off I-79, just 4 miles away.
Directions to Sewickley Heights Borough Park
From Fern Hollow Road, turn onto Hallaway Road, which is the park’s main entrance, and continue for about a half mile until you reach a large parking lot; the banding station is located at a picnic table next to the lot.
There is no cost for participation, and registration is not required. Reminder, banding takes place from dusk until midnight three nights a week in autumn and two nights a week in spring. As banding cannot take place if it is very windy or raining, if you plan to attend, be sure to check our website for cancellation information.
Email [email protected] or call 412-258-9439 during normal business hours for the National Aviary if you have any questions!
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More about Saw-whet Owls
The Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is one of the most common owls found in the forests of southern Canada and the northern United States, but information about this diminutive owl species is sparse. These birds, among the smallest owls in the north, are nocturnal and tend to migrate in irregular patterns, making them difficult to study.
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Symbolically Adopt a Banded Owl!
Not only can you participate in Project Owlnet as a volunteer community scientist, you can also symbolically adopt one of the Saw-whet Owls banded through the program!
Project Owlnet is a free program that is open to the public. If you would like to make a donation to support the National Aviary and important programs like Project Owlnet, please click here.