Hiding in Plain Sight, Saw-whet Owls in Maryland

Named for its loud, repetitive whistles that sound like a saw being whetted (sharpened), the northern saw-whet owl is a cute and mysterious little bird that, if one is really lucky, can be found during the winter roosting amidst the thick foliage of a pine or cedar … or, occasionally, hitching a ride to New York City in a really big Christmas tree! Though challenging to find, this diminutive owl from the north is a relatively common migrant and winter resident in the state, and can even be found as a breeding bird in the mountains of Garrett County. Kevin Dodge, Director of the Natural Resources and Wildlife Technology program at Garrett College, has been privileged to study, along with his students, the migrating and breeding biology of the northern saw-whet owl since 1991. He’ll share some of his experiences with us.

Kevin Dodge has worked since 1987 at Garrett College, in far western Maryland, where he is Professor of Wildlife and Biology and Director of the Natural Resources and Wildlife Technology program. Kevin teaches various courses in natural history and ecology, including Wildlife Biology, Dendrology, Herbaceous Plant Identification, Plant Taxonomy, Herpetology, Ornithology, Regional Songbird Identification, and General Ecology.  Kevin Dodge received his B.S. in Biology from Southwest Missouri State University in 1981 and his M.S. in Biology from Michigan Technological University in 1983. He pursued further studies in Wildlife Biology at West Virginia University from 1983 through 1987.

Kevin is actively involved in natural resources issues in Garrett County and the surrounding area. He is a member of the Savage River State Forest Citizens’ Advisory Board, a board member of the Youghiogheny River Watershed Association, co-founder of the Garrett Natural History Association, and a past member of the Garrett County Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Advisory Committee.