# @theoregonian on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DekCkLZE5qd
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/75561836-theoregonian-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/81d462b044.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-10-16T19:10:23.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** The Oregonian (@theoregonian) — https://gondola.cc/theoregonian

## Caption

No, these photos aren't made by AI. Pixar didn't make them, either.

Meet the northern pygmy owl. A real, living bird that's fluffier than a hamster with the soul of a velociraptor.

You just want to pick one up, hold it in your hand and pet it like a gerbil. But this little squirt weighs about as much as a chicken egg and can kill a young chicken several times its own weight.

They're the Pacific Northwest's adorable little murder machines. They hunt in broad daylight, save leftovers for later and even have what look like eyes on the backs of their heads. (See photo 2.)

They're fairly common in Oregon's forested mountains. Actually finding one? Good luck.

Follow the link in our bio to learn more about these tiny predators and find out what wildlife photographer Toshan Wijeratne witnessed after patiently watching one in Oregon's Siuslaw National Forest.

--Story by Mark_W_Graves, The Oregonian/OregonLive

--Photos 1-5 courtesy of toshan.wildphoto

--Photo 6 courtesy of Karen Eadie

--Photo 7 Courtesy of Ian Davies, Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab

#northernpygmyowl #pygmyowl #oregon #oregon-wildlife #oregonwildlife #oregonwild #birdsofprey

## Stats

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## Tags

oregon, pygmyowl, birdsofprey, oregonwild, oregonwildlife, northernpygmyowl

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