Alaska's smallest owl gets the royal treatment after life-threatening injury The reign of the sparrow-sized'King Owlbert' is here. The northern pygmy-owl was found injured in Ketchikan, Alaska. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Situated on southeast Alaska's scenic Baranof Island, the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka mainly treats the region's signature bald eagles . These large birds of prey are almost three feet tall and their wingspan is over 6 feet --so one can only imagine how striking it must have been when the staff received a sparrow-sized northern pygmy-owl-Alaska's smallest owl species.