by Pat Jaquith
pat@westvalleynaturalists.org

The Northern Pygmy-owl takes the prize for being the smallest owl in Montana. Tiny, but fierce, this little bird that stands 6-7 inches in height and weighs 2 to 3 ounces predates small to medium-sized birds (chickadee to blue jay sizes), small rodents and squirrels, insects, and has been known to successfully kill a domestic chicken with its sharp talons, strong down-curved beak, and amazing determination.

Pygmy-owls’ eyes attract my attention with their seemingly riveting stare. They can’t rotate their forward-facing eyes, so they move their whole head and body to look around. This yellow-eyed raptor is predominantly crepuscular, but especially in winter, I’ve seen them during all daylight hours. The bigger eye size allows the pupil to dilate to let in more light and in contrast to humans, they have more rod cells enhancing vision in low light. They have fewer cone cells than humans, making images appear in black and white tones rather than in color.

Pygmy-owls have a nictitating eyelid, a translucent cover that closes from side to side to protect the eye from debris and helps clean the eye surface. The stiff bristles around their eyes also are protective of this essential organ. Note the beak is downward-curved so it doesn’t interfere with their vision, even when watching prey on the ground below them.

Sometimes flocks of small songbirds will mob the owl trying to chase it off. The false eye spots may help to distract the mobsters into thinking it is facing them. This owl lacks a facial disc to concentrate sound to the ears, an indication that they hunt primarily by sight.

Owls have twice as many neck vertebrae as humans, giving them much more flexibility to rotate their head. This owl flew away from the tree-full of songbirds that it was preying on and landed on this post, but it didn’t give up its ability to keep an eye on them.

Pygmy-owls nest in abandoned woodpecker holes; I’ve seen them with their head filling the circular opening, calling their “too-toot-too-toot …toot” call. Mating generally occurs in April in Montana; I’ve heard their calls as I hike in the local woodlands. Like other owls, they have no gizzard for grinding up their bony food, so down it goes, bones and all into the stomach. About 10 hours after eating, they regurgitate a pellet containing the bones and other parts that they couldn’t digest. I’ve never found a pellet that I could identify as that of a Pygmy-owl.

There were few other birds out in that heavy frost and low visibility, but a little Northern Pygmy-owl about the size and shape of a pint-sized canning jar was perched on the leader of this tree patiently, persistently watching for an opportunity to fill its hungry stomach. In January, I’ve seen them on power lines several times, looking down at the deep weed grass underneath – presumably watching for mice or voles that might be stirring.

References: www.owlresearchinstitute.org

abcbirds.org