Between 3 and 7 white eggs are laid. Incubation takes up to 28 days and begins upon the laying of the first egg. This means that the eggs will not hatch at the same time. The female will do most of the incubating. Males may have up to three mates.
Juveniles have an usually obvious chocolate brown plumage with bold white eyebrows.
Saw-whet owls have been reported to live up to 17 years in captivity. Saw-whet owls feed on insects, small birds and small rodents. The little owl does its hunting at night, when it has the advantage of silence and surprise. A variety of calls, wails, whines, and yelps. They inhabit low, moist, coniferous woodland.