Small, fierce nocturnal hunters. Uncommon in Rocky Mountains and west. Timing: year-round. Prefers deciduous forest up to 6K ft., suburbs and parks, nest boxes. Small owl with a small bill; plumage is brown, gray or rufous; cryptic. Nocturnal hunters. Sometimes seen in their roost. Male and female perform duets and preen each other. Male feeds female and young during nesting. Can take prey larger than itself, like rabbits. Diet includes a wide variety of animals from small mammals to crayfish to scorpions. Oldest wild individual recorded was 13; one captive bird lived to 19. Population ~ 0.3 million and probably declining.