blunder

Northern-Pygmy-Owl

A Northern Pygmy-Owl on the hunt at “Little Mountain” outside Parksville, Vancouver Island.
Northern Pygmy-Owls are only 15 to 18 cm. (6 to 7 inches),...
Read more

A Northern Pygmy-Owl on the hunt at “Little Mountain” outside Parksville, Vancouver Island.
Northern Pygmy-Owls are only 15 to 18 cm. (6 to 7 inches), tall which could account for why they are considered an uncommon resident throughout most of its range in western North America. It is one of the least studied avian species and is protected from harm in British Columbia. They have yellow eyes and are greyish brown with a white belly streaked with brown and have black patches with white borders on the back of their head suggesting false eyes.
The Northern Pygmy-Owl may be tiny, but it’s a ferocious hunter with a taste for songbirds as well as insects, amphibians and small mammals. They hunt during the day by sitting quietly and surprising their prey. As a defensive measure, songbirds often gather to mob sitting owls until they fly away. This day there were about a dozen hummingbirds in a nearby tree that were obviously disturbed by the presence of this Pygmy-Owl.

Read less