The hunting behaviour of pygmy owls was studied by following radio-tag
ged individuals. There was a seasonal change in their hunting strategy
, which involved a switch between hunting mammals in summer and birds
in winter. When hunting mammals owls acted as sit-and-wait predators,
remaining perched for long periods and quite close to the ground. Hunt
ing for avian prey was characterised by shorter perching times on high
er perches in the trees. Pygmy owls attack from above, and predation r
isk for avian prey appears to be greater in the exterior and lower par
ts of a tree. This relative predation risk within the tree is of impor
tance in interspecific competition for foraging sites in tits. Intersp
ecific niche separation is likely to affect not only the access to foo
d but the exposure to predation as well. The exposure gradient may be
of importance for adaptations balancing the risk of predation and star
vation.