I can see why these owls are known as “glaring gnomes.” They even glare from behind, or so it seems. On the back of the Northern Pygmy Owl’s head is a pair of dark, white-ringed feathered eyespots, “false eyes” that are quite convincing. For years it was thought these eyespots functioned solely to confuse predators, but research suggests they may also confound mobbing songbirds.
