A Ferocious and Tiny Little Owl With Visible ‘Spirit-Eyes’ in the Back of Its Head

(EnviroNews Nature) – Often witnessed under attack by hoards of small and pesky little birds, this tiny fella’, small and active by day, is constantly on the look out for both danger and prey. The pearl-spotted owl (Glaucidium perlatum) stands 20 or less centimeters tall, and weight a mere four ounces at most.

The false eyes on the back of the head are thought to serve two purposes: confusing prey of which direction it’s looking, while appearing larger and more puffed-up to predators.

Nesting in the hole of a tree, this powerful little hunter lays two to four eggs and feeds mostly on invertebrates, although birds, bats, insects, and rodents are also staple commodities on a pearl-spotted’s diet.

These winged ones of magnificent plumage and skill are common across regions in southern Africa, and although they may be small, this day-and-night owl has powerful talons, and has been known to take out, and feed on birds weighing nearly three times more than itself.

The bird witnessed and taped here by our Nature and Wildlife Division, was an abnormally large one for the species, and stood on full alert, watching and quickly scrutinizing with camera, lens, and computer-like precision, every detail in sight.

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Africa, Amazing Birds, Emerson Urry, EnviroNews USA, Featured Nature, Glaucidium perlatum, Invertebrates, Kruger National Park, Nature and Wildlife, Owl, Owls, Pearl-spotted Owl, Rodents, South Africa, Strigiformes