From Matt Sorum
"Hi there.
It's not easy being this adorable!"
Northern Saw Whet Owl - Fargo, ND
This looks like what you'd imagine when you think of a cartoon owlet.
this post was submitted on 07 Feb 2026
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They have a great shape and expressiveness for it.
A stop motion Saw Whet was also the star of the Disney short movie "An Almost Christmas Story" if you haven't seen it. The lost little owl teams up with a lost little girl to find their respective parents.
It was inspired by a real Saw Whet that was living in the Rockefeller tree, and eventually dubbed, Rocky.
Rocky was rescued and rehabbed, and then ultimately released back where the tree came from.
The white dapples on his back are very close in pattern to the lighter colored spots on the branch he is perching on. Impressive camouflage!
Owls seem to have the ability to learn where they blend in best. The more they're able to hide from animals that don't like them during the day, the better rest they get.