Pygmy Owl Trio

A trio of northern pygmy owl chicks peers into my lens on the edge of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex in northern Montana. These little guys had recently fledged from their aspen nest cavity and I found them almost three-quarters of a mile from where they had originally hatched. Northern pygmy owls are the second smallest owl in North America, but they are one of the most fearless predators of the forest. They specialize in preying on other birds, mainly songbirds, for their dietary needs. At just barely six inches tall, they’re a formidable force in the forest.