The Northern Pygmy Owl is shockingly tiny when seen in real life, I intentionally picked image #2 to illustrate their diminutive size; you can use the little pine cones as a reference.
The Northern Pygmy Owl is actually - pound for pound - one of the most fierce killers of the bird kingdom. While they often eat grasshoppers and the like, they can and will attack birds much larger than themselves, as big as a chicken!
When in their territory, you can find them by listening for small birds such as hummingbirds, wrens, warblers, jays, and blackbirds as they will often mob Northern Pygmy Owls, for the threat that they are.
These are all fantastic Colin, number 2 is especially great though because it’s the first photo I’ve seen of this species that actually depicts scale. The close-up’s are great because these birds have so much character but as someone who has never seen one of these in real life, that photo really gives me a better understanding of just how small they are. Hope to see one in the flesh someday, thanks for sharing!
Bobg657 wrote:
Colin, some wonderful images and great information! Thanks for posting.
Bob
Thanks Bob! There's something about owls in general that makes them impossible not to like, but the cuteness factor of this tiny species makes it even more so.
Tony5787 wrote:
These are all fantastic Colin, number 2 is especially great though because it’s the first photo I’ve seen of this species that actually depicts scale. The close-up’s are great because these birds have so much character but as someone who has never seen one of these in real life, that photo really gives me a better understanding of just how small they are. Hope to see one in the flesh someday, thanks for sharing!
Thanks! Yes, the close-ups really give the impression that they are much larger than they are.
