{"id":40518,"date":"2016-07-14T03:50:43","date_gmt":"2016-07-14T09:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=40518"},"modified":"2025-07-22T09:03:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T14:03:00","slug":"jackpot-lifer-northern-pygmy-owl-with-prey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/07\/14\/jackpot-lifer-northern-pygmy-owl-with-prey\/","title":{"rendered":"Jackpot! Lifer Northern Pygmy-Owl with Prey"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"NorthernNorthern Pygmy-Owl with prey – Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/250, ISO 500, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I went looking for a mammal species yesterday and dipped on them but hit the jackpot by getting a lifer bird, a Northern Pygmy-Owl and it had prey!<\/p>\n

I didn’t need to use a call (I never do), I didn’t need to bait (I don’t) and I also didn’t need to use flash because the tiny owl was out hunting during the day and then it flew into a tree not very far from the road. I have dreamed about seeing these small owls and getting images of them for quite some time.<\/p>\n

Now I know this isn’t the best image, there is a shadow on the owls face, the branch it is perched on sticks out in front of the owl’s chest and the tip of it is badly out of focus. The bright sky in the background is slightly distracting, well, maybe the entire background is…<\/p>\n

But I got a lifer Northern Pygmy-Owl and I couldn’t be happier!<\/p>\n

Northern Pygmy-Owls are tiny at only 7 to 7.5 inches in length and a mere 2.2 ounces but they are ferocious hunters who hunt during the day and can take prey up to three time their size, even something as large as a chicken! Northern Pygmy-Owls can be found in montane forests in their range and that is exactly where this one was found!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> freaking good!<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

I need to work on finding a few more of the tiny woodland owls. Soon!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I went looking for a mammal species yesterday and dipped on them but hit the jackpot by getting a lifer bird, a Northern Pygmy-Owl and it had prey!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":150565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1513,5287,12,5286],"tags":[2663,6577,5370,5289,531,14742,5288,3967,294,2415,4104,4106,8973,4076],"class_list":["post-40518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaverhead-county-montana","category-centennial-mountains","category-montana","category-northern-pygmy-owls","tag-birds-of-prey","tag-branches","tag-forest","tag-glaucidium-gnoma","tag-lifer","tag-montane-forest","tag-northern-pygmy-owl","tag-owl","tag-owls","tag-owls-of-montana","tag-perched","tag-prey","tag-rodent","tag-trees"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/northern-pygmy-owl-prey-mia-mcpherson-3740.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-axw","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44163,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/12\/31\/looking-at-2016-in-the-rear-view-mirror-or-my-photographic-year-in-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":40518,"position":0},"title":"Looking at 2016 in the Rear View Mirror or My Photographic Year in Review","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 31, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Wow, today is the last day of the year 2016. This is my photographic year in review from Utah, Idaho and Montana!","rel":"","context":"In "American Barn Owls"","block_context":{"text":"American Barn Owls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/owls\/barn-owls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Close up of leucistic Red-tailed Hawk in flight, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/red-tailed-hawk-leucistic-mia-mcpherson-3806.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/red-tailed-hawk-leucistic-mia-mcpherson-3806.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/red-tailed-hawk-leucistic-mia-mcpherson-3806.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/red-tailed-hawk-leucistic-mia-mcpherson-3806.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37862,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/04\/04\/northern-utah-short-eared-owls\/","url_meta":{"origin":40518,"position":1},"title":"Northern Utah Short-eared Owls","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 4, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday it was the northern Utah Short-eared Owls that made me so very glad that I am a bird photographer and that for a little while I am part of their world.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Tumbleweeds with Short-eared Owl, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/short-eared-owl-tumbleweed-mia-mcpherson-2009.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/short-eared-owl-tumbleweed-mia-mcpherson-2009.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/short-eared-owl-tumbleweed-mia-mcpherson-2009.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/short-eared-owl-tumbleweed-mia-mcpherson-2009.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7370,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/02\/02\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-in-a-montana-granary-window\/","url_meta":{"origin":40518,"position":2},"title":"Great Horned Owl fledgling in a Montana granary window","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"February 2, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Currently throughout the breeding range of Great Horned Owls the owls have either begun to nest or have nested already. Great Horned Owls have a large range and are found in the U.S., Canada and Central America.","rel":"","context":"In "Glacier County"","block_context":{"text":"Glacier County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/glacier-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Horned Owl fledgling in Glacier County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-montana-mia-mcpherson-6831.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-montana-mia-mcpherson-6831.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-montana-mia-mcpherson-6831.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-montana-mia-mcpherson-6831.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38144,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/04\/11\/short-eared-owl-nictitating-membrane\/","url_meta":{"origin":40518,"position":3},"title":"Short-eared Owl Nictitating Membrane","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 11, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"This image shows a Short-eared Owl nictitating membrane that is partially exposed. The dark line near the center of the eye is the edge of the nictitating membrane.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Northern Utah Short-eared Owl Male","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/short-eared-owl-thumbnail-mia-mcpherson-2237.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/short-eared-owl-thumbnail-mia-mcpherson-2237.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/short-eared-owl-thumbnail-mia-mcpherson-2237.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20812,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/03\/02\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-and-an-old-granary\/","url_meta":{"origin":40518,"position":4},"title":"Great Horned Owl fledgling and an old granary","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 2, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"This morning winter is trying to creep back into northern Utah but I am thinking of warmer weather, Montana and Great Horned Owls.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Horned Owl fledgling and an old granary, Glacier County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-6731.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-6731.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-6731.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/great-horned-owl-fledgling-mia-mcpherson-6731.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2206,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/04\/21\/a-barn-owl-delight\/","url_meta":{"origin":40518,"position":5},"title":"American Barn Owl Delight","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 21, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"I had a delightful experience this past week in northern Utah with an American Barn Owl that was flying along side the road that I was traveling on.","rel":"","context":"In "American Barn Owls"","block_context":{"text":"American Barn Owls","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/owls\/barn-owls\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult American Barn Owl in flight over a marsh in northern Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/barn-owl-utah-adult-mia-mcpherson-7011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/barn-owl-utah-adult-mia-mcpherson-7011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/barn-owl-utah-adult-mia-mcpherson-7011.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/barn-owl-utah-adult-mia-mcpherson-7011.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40518"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40518\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}