Breeding habitat is usually swampy or wet, rather than dry. Riparian habitat is often preferred. They Winter generally throughout much of the breeding range, but part of the population migrates south regularly to the central United States and irregularly to more southern areas along the Gulf coast and central Florida. The Northern Saw-whet Owl is highly migratory in northern and eastern areas. Two major migration corridors in eastern North America are along the Atlantic coastline and down the Ohio River valley.
Juveniles are more likely to migrate than adults and tend to move further south.
Migration in the fall often occurs during the passage of a cold front and during westerly winds. Southern populations move downslope during winter rather than migrating south. The Northern Saw-whet Owl is also found in Mexico. Aegolius acadicus brooksi - Queen Charlotte Islands off the coast of British Columbia.