You may have to travel a long way to see this species. Inge saw it in south Texas, at the northern limit of its range.

A tiny owl with a longish tail, it is no bigger than an Eastern Bluebird. A daytime hunter, its wingbeats aren’t muffled as it darts from a perch like a flycatcher to catch insects, small reptiles or even birds.

[Friday posts suspended while the author is abroad]