As wildfires burn around the state of Colorado, related headlines are often bleak. That’s not the case with a recent story shared by the Beulah Fire Protection and Ambulance District, though.

According to a July 12 update, one animal that was rescued from the Aspen Acres Fire was a member of the state’s smallest native owl species – the Flammulated Owl. With adults weighing just 1.5 to 2.2 ounces, flammulated owls are small enough to fit in the palm of a hand when fully grown.

Per the report from the agency, the owl that was rescued was found in the North Creek Division of the 98,608-acre blaze. It’s reportedly doing well and recovering at the Nature and Wildlife Raptor Center, which is located in Pueblo.

Often overlooked despite perhaps being one of the state’s most notable native avian species, the flammulated owl tends to roost during the day in small tree hollows, emerging at night as an effective nocturnal predator that hunts insects spotted by bulging eyes and heard with the help of flat facial discs that amplify sound. Some populations are residents of a given area, while others are migratory – including those of Pike National Forest, which travel to the area each spring and summer for breeding and amid their ever-lasting hunt for insects to eat.

Thanks to firefighting personnel assigned to the Aspen Acres Fire, at least one more member of the species will live to fly another day.

Read more about the flammulated owl here.

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