Alaska’s tiniest owl receives royal care after surviving life-threatening injury

Situated on southeast Alaska’s scenic Baranof Island, the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka mainly treats the region’s signature bald eagles. These large birds of prey are almost three feet tall and their wingspan is over 6 feet—so one can only imagine how striking it must have been when the staff received a sparrow-sized northern pygmy-owl–Alaska’s smallest owl species.

“Getting in an owl this tiny is always a challenge! Our enclosures are all designed for larger birds!” Jennifer Cedarleaf, the center’s Avian Director, tells Popular Science. “We will take any bird that is in need of help. So, while this tiny owl is unusual for us, we are here to help care for birds with injuries and try our best to get them back into their natural habitat.”