Tag Archives: false eye spots

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Mike Mayda saw this Pygmy Owl standing in front of a glass partition. It's fun to see the reflection of this little owl too.

Mike shooed the owl to safety after taking this photo.

Pygmy Owls hunt songbirds. I have seen one perch on our railing next to a bird feeder, looking for an easy meal. They have "fake" or false eyes on the back of their heads. I took this photo of the back of the head. Don't they look real?

I thank Mike for allowing me to share his photo with you here.

Thursday brought a rainstorm, perhaps the last for a while. Today, Friday, is a beautiful day with clouds drifting by. Tomorrow, Saturday, is the first day of Spring. Happy Spring to you all!

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Jayne Zeldin, the owner of ARFF Feed and Pet Supplies, heard this little owl hit a window. As it recovered outside her store, Jayne photographed it.

Northern Pgymy Owl by Jayne ZeldinJayne said is rested there for a while, and then flew off, so we hope it was uninjured. Northern Pygmy Owls are often seen in the daytime, as they hunt small birds. Rick and I had one perch near our birdfeeder one day. Here it is looking my way.

Pygmy Owl by Jeanne Jackson

And then it turned its head, showing the false eye spots in the back.

False Eye spots of Pygmy Owl by Jeanne Jackson

To hear the "toot" of a Pygmy Owl, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Pygmy-Owl/sounds

Thanks to Jayne for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

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Our smallest Owl, it's always a treat to see a Northern Pygmy Owl. Peter Baye reports that he's been hearing them call at his place on Fuller Mountain in Annapolis recently. And one paid him a visit, allowing Peter to get this photograph.

Last year Rick and I had one perch on a deck railing close to a bird feeder. Here's the link to see the two photos I took. I got a photo of the BACK of the owl, showing the false eye spots. They are very realistic!
http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/08/20/a-northern-pygmy-owl-paid-us-a-visit-in-anchor-bay-earlier-this-week/

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Rick noticed it first - a strange-looking bird sitting on the railing of our deck at 11:00 a.m. Just a foot or so away was a Steller's Jay. I ran for my camera and Rick grabbed his binoculars. Rick said, "It's a tiny Owl!" I took these photo through a window. You can see the "eyes" on the back of its head - a key identifier of a Pygmy. We were thrilled with this Owl's visit.

Below is the back of its head with false eye spots