Science & Nature: The Smallest Of American Owls, The __________, Often Nests In The Gila Woodpecker's Cactus Hole After The Woodpecker Leaves. The Owl Measures Barely 6 Inches Tall. It Specializes In Catching Scorpions, Seizing Each By The Tail And Nipping Off Its Stinger. It Then Swallows The Scorpion's Body, Pincers And All