Adult northern pygmy owls are only 15-17 cm tall and have brown or greyish-brown colorings. They usually have a spotted head and yellowish eyes.

They perch near the top of coniferous trees, but are hard to spot because of their color and size. They nest in tree cavities or old woodpecker holes, mostly in douglas fir in our area. As the female nest and cares for the eggs, then the hatchlings, the male hunts for food all day until the fledglings leave the nest.

They prey and feed on insects, small mammals, and birds, but are food for larger predators themselves.

If we are lucky, we may spot one while out in the open forests of our area. This one was spotted by Russ Walton in the Deep Lake area.