>Also, on a snowy
>winter a couple of years back there was a curious association between a
>northern pygmy owl hanging about and neat little piles of yellow evening
>grosbeak feathers on the snow. (Seemed like a pretty big target for that
>little fellow to me.)
>
>Tom Besser

Pygmy-owls have been reported as taking chipmunks, which weigh about the
same as an Evening Grosbeak. Both have feeding apparatus (sharp teeth,
huge bill, either of which produces "ouch" or other such four-letter words
in a human) that would seem to make them formidable prey, but I guess
predators evolve to outbite (or outclaw) their prey.

Dennis Paulson phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416