Subject: [Tweeters] Snohomish Co. Pygmy-Owl
Date: Sun Feb 11 16:19:22 PST 2018
From: Paul Bannick - paul.bannick at gmail.com

Hi Marv,

Its a lucky day whenever we get to witness owls and their behavior. That
was a "concealing" behavior. All Owls try to break up the "typical owl
shape" when the perceive threat. For nearly all species this involves just
what you describe. I have seen this with Elf Owls, Saw-whets, Boreals,
Long-eared, Short-eared, Screech Owls, Snowy Owls, and both Northern and
Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls and even the Northern Hawk Owls. Owls with
"ear-tufts" also involve their tufts. Owls considered "earless/tuftless"
such as Pygmy-Owls and Snowy Owls sometimes even manage to show residual
tufts. I have seen this behavior in response to potential predators such
as Eagles, Hawks and larger owls.

Some examples:
Snowy Owl Concealment/Cryptic
https://paulbannick.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=279&_bqH=eJwzCHTTdczyja_MCwtKNq0syA12Co8wNDJ09PK0MjEyMbYyNDAAYSDpGe8S7GybkVierZ1fnqNq5KydXFRZUJKZrOYZHxrsGhTv6WIbClJZ4WvomeuX7pgS5akW7.gcYlucmliUnAEAp8EgWg--&GI_ID=

Northern Hawk Owl
https://paulbannick.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=275&_bqH=eJwzCHTTdczyja_MCwtKNq0syA12Co8wNDJ09PK0MjEyMbYyNDAAYSDpGe8S7GybkVierZ1fnqNq5KydXFRZUJKZrOYZHxrsGhTv6WIbClJZ4WvomeuX7pgS5akW7.gcYlucmliUnAEAp8EgWg--&GI_ID=

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
https://paulbannick.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=143&_bqH=eJxzcw4pDYtIKcyy9PfzLg5KS0rOTQ8I8gz39vS0MrUwsjI0MABhIOkZ7xLsbFtQmZ5bqWrkrJ1cVFlQkpms5hkfGuwaFO_pYhsKUlbha.iZ65fumBLlqRbv6BxiW5yaWJScAQB6UiAJ&GI_ID=

Short-eared Owl:
https://paulbannick.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=275&_bqH=eJwzCHTTdczyja_MCwtKNq0syA12Co8wNDJ09PK0MjEyMbYyNDAAYSDpGe8S7GybkVierZ1fnqNq5KydXFRZUJKZrOYZHxrsGhTv6WIbClJZ4WvomeuX7pgS5akW7.gcYlucmliUnAEAp8EgWg--&GI_ID=

Northern Pygmy-Owl
https://paulbannick.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=179&_bqH=eJxzcw4pDYtIKcyy9PfzLg5KS0rOTQ8I8gz39vS0MrUwsjI0MABhIOkZ7xLsbFtQmZ5bqWrkrJ1cVFlQkpms5hkfGuwaFO_pYhsKUlbha.iZ65fumBLlqRbv6BxiW5yaWJScAQB6UiAJ&GI_ID=



Paul

On Sun, Feb 11, 2018 at 2:09 PM, Marv Breece <marvbreece at q.com> wrote:


> Yesterday (2.10.18) there was a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL at the end of 220th St

> NE in Snohomish County. This is accessed off of 7th Ave NE off of

> Pioneer Hwy E, a short distance west of I5. (SE of Silvana)

>

>

> As I watched this bird it stood straight up and shrunk its body to *a

> diameter much smaller than its unshrunken head*. The size of the

> shrunken body was a fraction of normal. The bird looked very odd! The

> process took but a few seconds, after which the bird immediately returned

> to normal dimensions. The bird remained perched in the same place for

> several minutes after the "shrinking". Unfortunately, I was not filming at

> the time. Whether this was concealing or revealing behavior, I cannot

> say. I was quite distant from the bird. There could easily have been

> another bird which posed a threat that I did not see.

>

>

> If anyone reading this has had a similar experience with a Pygmy-Owl I

> would appreciate hearing about it.

>

>

> Photos at: http://www.pbase.com/marvbreece/new_images

>

> Videos at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/138163614 at N02/

>

>

> Marv Breece

> Tukwila, WA

> marvbreece at q.com

>

> Concepts shape our world.

> Concepts are not hard wired.

>

>

>

>

> _______________________________________________

> Tweeters mailing list

> Tweeters at u.washington.edu

> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

>

>



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